Mom of shot teen enters guilty plea

She admits to felony firearm count; other weapons charges withdrawn

HOT SPRINGS -- A Pearcy woman whose 17-year-old son was shot in the face earlier this year, reportedly by another teen, was sentenced to six years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to a felony firearms charge.

Lessie Christine Augusta Galo, 37, was scheduled originally to stand trial Sept. 27 in Garland County Circuit Court on two felony counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons and one count of criminal use of prohibited weapons, each punishable by up to six years in prison. She pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by certain persons, and the other charges were withdrawn.

Galo has been in custody since her arrest Feb. 14, the day of the shooting. She had been classified as a habitual offender, having been convicted Sept. 28, 2015, of four counts of possession of a controlled substance, theft of property and residential burglary, and sentenced to five years in prison.

Deputy prosecutor Trent Daniels said Tuesday that he agreed not to prosecute her as a habitual offender if she pleaded guilty to the one count of possession and received the maximum sentence. Her sentence will be served concurrently with the revocation of her parole from her previous convictions.

Keonte Deshon Rauls, 18, of Hot Springs was arrested at the same time and initially charged with first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years, in the shooting of Galo's son, according to court documents. The charge was later amended to second-degree battery, punishable by up to six years, and Rauls pleaded innocent to the charge May 1.

Rauls has been free on $4,500 bond since March 15, and a hearing to determine the admissibility of statements he made to investigators is scheduled for Aug. 14.

As a felon, Galo was prohibited from owning or possessing any firearms, so she was charged with that offense. She was also initially charged with obstructing government operations, accused of giving a false name at first, but the charge was withdrawn.

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State Desk on 07/19/2018

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