Kaleb Mickens, 34, received a 40-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in the death of his girlfriend Sheila Cuevas. Authorities determined that Mickens beat Cuevas severely and falsely blamed the attack on his dog, which was euthanized. The case unfolded in Tarrant County, with additional sentences for assaults on other women.
Kaleb Mickens pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault related to family violence, earning a 40-year sentence from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. The incident involved Sheila Cuevas, whom Mickens reported on October 8, 2023, as having been attacked by his dog, Soldier, in their apartment. Paramedics found Cuevas unresponsive, and the dog was euthanized at the time, but investigators later ruled out the animal as the cause of her injuries and death due to inconsistencies with the wounds observed on her body, including a swollen face, cauliflower ear, puncture wounds, and 15 broken ribs. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Allenna Bangs described the scene: 'She was found in their apartment at the foot of the bed, I would say head to toe beaten, bruised, swollen face, cauliflower ear, puncture wounds, she had 15 broken ribs.' Prosecutors could not file murder charges owing to complications with the medical examiner in proving the exact cause of death, despite evidence Mickens had drugged her. Mickens also received 20 years on a probation revocation for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and 15 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Dallas County, both involving different women from prior relationships. Known publicly as 'Cash Cartier' in the IM Academy multi-level marketing platform, Mickens had nearly 100,000 Instagram followers and reportedly earned $20,000 weekly at his peak, though his income was declining by fall 2023. During sentencing, several women gave impact statements detailing torment, manipulation, and sexual assault, while Cuevas' brother told Mickens directly, 'You deserve this.' A GoFundMe page remembered Cuevas as 'an amazing human being' whose 'smile and kind heart lit up every room.'