Tyler man pleads guilty to Lake Palestine crash that killed teen

TYLER – A Tyler man pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a manslaughter charge from a 2019 boat crash on Lake Palestine that killed 14-year-old Roberto Carlos Bermejo Hernandez, also of Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, 34-year-old Jeffrey Hampton admitted to hitting Hernandez, who was standing on a dock, with a boat. While Hampton admitted guilt, he requested a jury trial for the punishment phase, which is set to begin Monday morning. Assistant District Attorney Noah Coltman said he will add special instructions for the jury to determine whether Hampton used the boat as a deadly weapon. This would affect the sentencing the jury could give Hampton. Currently, he could get anywhere between 5 to 99 years in prison.