New court dates set for two Woodsboro teens charged in alleged hate crime

Kailey E. Hunt, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·4 min read

New court dates have been set for two teens charged in connection with an alleged hate crime in Woodsboro last year on Halloween night.

Both Noel Garcia Jr., 17, and Rance Bolcik, 17, chose to waive their scheduled Jan. 6 arraignments in the 24th District Court through their respective attorneys, court records show.

Garcia did, however, make an appearance at the Refugio County Courthouse to request a court-appointed attorney.

Garcia's next hearing is set for Feb. 10, Bolcik's for March 17.

Court records show the teens were indicted by a Refugio County grand jury last month for allegedly assaulting a Black teen with a stun gun while wearing Ku Klux Klan robes.

Then, "knowing that an offense had been committed," the teens allegedly burned the Ku Klux Klan robes, according to the indictment.

Garcia and Bolcik each face one count of engaging in organized criminal activity and one count of tampering with evidence — both third-degree felonies.

Court records also allege that the teens targeted the victim "primarily because of (their) bias or prejudice against African Americans," prompting the indictment to include a hate crime enhancement.

A third, unidentified individual — an underage girl — was also described in the indictment as having participated in the alleged crime, but was not listed in court records as having been indicted. It is also not clear if the girl has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Matt Manning, the attorney representing the alleged victim, told the Caller-Times that he would characterize the underage girl as the "ringleader" in the alleged hate crime.

Manning said the girl gave commands to the teens dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes.

"There has to be a line of demarcation that we, as a society, can draw in the sand," said Manning, a former city attorney for Corpus Christi and lead prosecutor for the Nueces County District Attorney's Office. "It can't always be characterized as 'this is kids being kids' or youthful indiscretion. No.

"It's something that is per se offensive and per se hateful," he said. "And if you choose to emulate those actions (of the Ku Klux Klan), you will not only draw the ire of people, but you will draw significant consequences from the criminal justice system."

If convicted, Garcia and Bolcik could face two to 10 years in prison.

Timeline

  • Oct. 31, 2021 — A Black teenager is allegedly shocked with a stun gun while trick-or-treating with friends on Halloween night in Woodsboro by high school students dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan.

  • Early November 2021 — The Woodsboro Police Department opens an investigation into the incident and acquires the help of the Texas Rangers from Sinton.

  • Nov. 9, 2021 — Woodsboro Superintendent Ronald D. Segers Jr. acknowledges the incident in statement posted to Facebook, and confirms Woodsboro High School students are involved. Segers says that the district cannot punish the students involved because the incident did not occur at a school or as school-sponsored activity.

  • Nov. 10, 2021 — Local attorney Matt Manning announces he has taken the alleged victim as his client. Manning holds a news conference in Corpus Christi to address the incident. The local NAACP chapter deems the incident a "hate crime."

  • Dec. 16, 2021 — Seventeen-year-olds Noel Garcia Jr. and Rance Bolcik are indicted by a Refugio County grand jury for engaging in organized criminal activity and tampering with evidence (both third-degree felonies) in connection with the incident. The indictment includes a hate crime enhancement, and acknowledges the role of a third, unidentified individual in the incident. Garcia and Bolcik are arrested by Texas Rangers at Woodsboro High School.

  • Jan. 4, 2022 — Bolcik waives his scheduled Jan. 6 arraignment in the 24th District Court through his attorney. Bolcik's next court date is set for March 17.

  • Jan. 6, 2022 — Garcia requests a court-appointed attorney, and later waives his scheduled Jan. 6 arraignment in the 24th District Court through his appointed attorney. Garcia's next court date is set for Feb. 10.

Staff writer Christopher Howley contributed to this story.

Kailey E. Hunt covers breaking news and public safety in South Texas. Help support more local coverage with a subscription at caller.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: New court dates set for Woodsboro teens charged in alleged hate crime