Fort Cavazos soldier takes plea deal in Coryell County assault case

A Fort Cavazos soldier pleaded in Coryell County court to felony charges accusing him of assaulting a pregnant fellow soldier and strangling her, putting the punishment decision in Judge Grant Kinsey’s hands while the Army weighs its own response. Private First Class Jimmy Lee Rodriguez, of the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, remains assigned to his unit.

Court records show Rodriguez was set for an open plea hearing on June 1 in the 440th Judicial District Court under case numbers 25-29600 and 25-29601. The docket lists one count of assault of a pregnant person tied to July 25, 2025, and one count of assault family or household member impeding breath or circulation tied to July 21, 2025. Bonds were set at $15,000 and $10,000.

The plea did not erase felony exposure. Both offenses were still listed as third-degree felonies in Coryell County District Court, a level that carries two to 10 years in prison under Texas law. With a pre-sentence investigation ordered, the court will use a report before setting final punishment, which can include prison time or community supervision.

Reporting around the case says Copperas Cove police arrested Rodriguez on July 25, 2025, the same date one of the charges was filed. A department bulletin from that day listed allegations that included assault on a pregnant person, assault with bodily injury family violence and unlawful restraint. Video evidence reportedly appears to show part of the incident, and the woman shown requested anonymity. She said she was on active duty at the time and about six months pregnant; she has since honorably separated from military service.

Fort Cavazos officials said the command was aware of the arrest and was cooperating with civilian law enforcement, and the Army said it had taken additional actions that were not publicly releasable. The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel separately prosecutes domestic violence and other serious crimes, so civilian proceedings in Coryell County can run alongside military action. The scrutiny lands in a community still recalling the April 2025 conviction of Sgt. Greville Clarke for attempted murder, rape and other violent crimes against fellow soldiers, including strangling a woman with a lamp cord in a barracks room.