Angel Escalante, 52, of Waco, Texas was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday, July 11, 2025, following a five day jury trial in Burnet County for committing the offense of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child. Judge Allan Garrett of the 33rd Judicial District Court of Burnet County sentenced Escalante on the jury’s recommendation. The case was prosecuted by attorneys from both the Burnet and McLennan County District Attorneys’ Offices because Escalante had sexually abused three girls in both counties. Bill Price of the Burnet County District Attorney's Office and Tara Avants from the McLennan County District Attorney's Office teamed up to successfully prosecute Escalante.
Evidence at trial revealed that Escalante had abused three different family members beginning as far back as 2009. The molestation continued until 2023, when two of the three survivors reported the abuse to a family member, and then to law enforcement in Waco. The investigation revealed that three total members of Escalante’s family had been victimized repeatedly in both McLennan and Burnet Counties. Because the victims were younger at the time they were abused in Burnet, and because of the repetitive nature of those offenses, the Burnet charges carried a greater punishment. For those reasons, the two prosecuting offices chose to try Escalante in Burnet County.
All three survivors testified at trial, along with witnesses from law enforcement and Child Protective Services. Jurors also heard testimony from a forensic interviewer in Waco as well as a child therapist, who was an expert in the traumatic effects of child sexual abuse. Evidence also proved that Escalante had prior convictions for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Burglary of a Habitation, and Injury to a Child. The case from Burnet County was investigated by the Burnet Police Department. The defense also called nearly a dozen witnesses during the trial. After the jury's guilty verdict, the jury decided Escalante’s punishment.
