A former Hillcrest High School student who raped at least five women before he murdered one of his victims had pleaded guilty. Lenario Washington, now 18, was sentenced to 58-years in prison.
Washington was arrested in Nov. 2018 for the murder of Maria Ezquerro as she was texting her fiancé from her Galleria-area apartment. He had knocked on Ezquerro’s door asking for water when he pulled a gun and sexually assaulted her, court records say.
Police say DNA has tied Washington to at least five rapes in Dallas and the Bosier City LA area, all while he was age 15.
Friends and family members of a woman who was raped and murdered in North Dallas, say the attacker is a monster who deserves to be locked up. Two years ago, a judge certified Washington to stand trial for capital murder as an adult. Since then, Washington’s defense attorney and prosecutors have gone back and forth over possible deals.
“Initially, it was hard to get through to him,” said Phillip Hayes, Washington’s defense lawyer. “Once it hit him he was remorseful. He really didn’t understand where all the anger was coming from."
Ezquerro’s mother now resides in Mexico and could not be reached for comment. The mother of Ezquerro’s fiancé says her son is still torn by the murder and is trying to move forward with his life.
Under the deal, Washington could be out of prison in 29 years. If he had been convicted of capital murder it would have been life without parole.
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