Medina pleads guilty to lesser charges for 2013 beating death of Sidney man

On Tuesday Theodore Medina, 24, pled guilty in Cheyenne County district court to reduced charges for the November 2013 beating death of 51-year-old Ernest Ward.

An altercation in Ward’s home between he and Medina, who was Ward’s ex son-in-law, ultimately ended in Ward’s death due to blunt force head injuries. Medina also pled guilty on Tuesday for the part he played in a jailhouse fight two days after Ward’s demise.

Medina was initially charged with first degree assault, a class two felony and manslaughter, a class three felony for his role in Ward’s death. He was originally charged with second degree assault, a class three felony and assault on a confined person, a class three A felony for the altercation in the Cheyenne County jail. Medina was already on probation in Cheyenne County for third degree assault and resisting arrest, both class one misdemeanors, as well as a DUI, at the time of his arrest on these charges.

Medina entered into a plea agreement with the state on Tuesday. In return for Medina’s guilty pleas in both cases, the state lowered the charges against him considerably.

The Sidney man pled guilty to attempted second degree assault, a class four felony, for his altercation with Ward as well as to third degree assault, a class one misdemeanor for the jailhouse fight.

The Cheyenne County attorney’s office decided to enter into a plea agreement with Medina after interviewing family members and witnesses.

On the afternoon of Nov. 2, 2013 Sidney police were dispatched to a local residence, where officer James Bush found Medina attempting to resuscitate Ward. Police then took over CPR efforts. Emergency Response Care soon arrived and transported Ward to Sidney Regional Medical Center, where he died later that night.

After the incident, Medina reportedly told police that Ward was intoxicated and he and Ward had gotten into a fight. Ward was drunk and belligerent when Medina arrived home from work that morning. The defendant was in his room, sleeping next to his son when Ward came in and told Medina he was a bad father and began to poke him, according to the state’s factual basis statement.

Medina pushed Ward, who fell down easily due to his intoxication. Then, Medina held Ward down in the bathroom and promised to allow him up only if he calmed down. When Medina released Ward, the older man continued to act belligerently. Medina then pushed Ward into a bookshelf.

After that, Medina heard his son cry and reportedly snapped, according to police documents. It was after this that Medina slammed Ward into the wooden floor.

Medina then reportedly went to the basement to smoke a cigarette and cool down. After this he called 911.

Jose Hernandez, who lived with Medina and Ward at the time, was present during the altercation, but only saw a portion of it. Hernandez did not see the shoving match, but agreed that Ward was drunk at the time of the fight.

In the portion of the fight that Hernandez witnessed, Medina told Ward to get out of the house and the victim refused, saying it was his house. Ward hit Medina in the face first. After that Medina hit Ward and picked him up, slamming the man into the floor.

At the time of the fight, Medina was 23 years old, 5’5” tall and weighed 140 pounds, while the victim was 52 years old , 5’10” tall and weighed 120 pounds, according to the factual basis.

The autopsy found severe hemorrhaging in Ward’s brain, which was consistent with his head hitting a hard, wooden floor. Ward also suffered spinal damage, most likely caused by his head whipping backward.

In interviewing witnesses for trial, the Cheyenne County attorney’s office found that Ward had previously had altercations with the defendant in which he would drink to belligerence and act in a confrontational manner.

On Nov. 4, two days after Medina’s arrests for his actions against Ward Cheyenne County placed Steven Koch, who was drunk and uncooperative, in a cell with Medina at the Cheyenne County jail.

Koch approached Medina, according to the state’s factual basis, made some statements and poked at the defendant’s foot. Medina then jumped from his mattress and tackled Koch to the floor. Medina then reportedly hit Koch in the stomach and said, “I hate drunks.”

Medina could face up to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for the second degree assault charges and up to one year imprisonment and up to a $1,000 fine for the third degree assault charge.

Sentencing is set for June 17 at 8:30 a.m.