Hilderbrand and Cox Trials

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Douglas County District Attorney David McDade announces a guilty verdict in the State’s case against 48 year old Mark Andrew Hilderbrand. A Douglas County jury took less than half an hour to convict Hilderbrand of Theft by Receiving Motor Vehicle and Eluding Police Officers. “The work of Douglas County citizens who serve as jurors is extremely important. I appreciate those who served and their willingness to render verdicts that hold criminals in this county accountable for their actions.”

According to Assistant District Attorney Marc Watkins who was presenting the State’s case, Hilderbrand stole a car from the Dollar General parking lot in Villa Rica on December 17, 2008. The owner of the vehicle came out of the Dollar General and saw Hilderbrand pulling off in her car. She immediately called the police and reported it stolen. However, two days later the victim and her husband were driving on Thornton Road when they saw Hilderbrand driving their vehicle. The victims immediately called the police again and reported the location of the suspect in their vehicle.

According to evidence presented at trial, Douglasville Police Officers were then able to locate the suspect in the stolen vehicle at a gas station on Thornton Road and attempted to pull him over. However, as the officers approached the car he immediately took off, leading members of law enforcement on a high speed chase down Thornton Road and onto I-20.

Hilderbrand got off the interstate at Fulton Industrial Boulevard and turned into Bolton Crossing apartments and took off on foot. The suspect was quickly apprehended by law enforcement and transported to the Douglas County Jail.

On Monday, Douglas County Superior Court Judge David T. Emerson sentenced Hilderbrand, who is a repeat offender with 6 prior felony convictions, to serve the maximum of 15 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

In another trial also presented by Assistant District Attorney Marc Watkins, Ontiveros Cox was found guilty of Violation of Georgia’s Controlled Substance Act and Driving with a Suspended License by a Douglas County jury.

According to evidence presented at trial, Officer Ashley Sanders who works with the Douglasville F.I.N.D Unit made a routine traffic stop on I-20 after observing a vehicle following to close to the truck in front of it. Upon pulling the vehicle over, Officer Sanders approached the passenger side door and asked for the license from the driver, Ontiveros Cox. Officer Sanders noticed that Cox appeared extremely nervous and could smell marijuana in the vehicle. When Cox stated that he did not have his license, Officer Sanders asked him to step out of the vehicle. Officer Sanders then asked the passenger in the vehicle, Kelvin Burton, for his license. Once again Officer Sanders noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car.

Officer Sanders then searched the vehicle and discovered 5 pounds of marijuana hidden in a black bag in the trunk of the vehicle.

According to Cox’s own testimony during the trial, he had purchased the marijuana in Atlanta and was traveling back to Alabama with the intent to sell the drugs.

Cox has 3 prior felony drug convictions, including Trafficking Marijuana.

The State asked the judge to treat Cox as a repeat offender and on Monday he received a sentence of 11 years, with 9 years to serve in prison without the possibility of parole.

“Marc Watkins did an outstanding job prosecuting these repeat offenders,” stated McDade. “In Douglas County, we want to send the message to career criminals that we will continue to prosecute them and seek the maximum sentence possible.”