Tacoma, WA. - A judge set bail at $10 million for a man accused of killing a teenager over a necklace in Parkland. Brandon Torres Meza faces murder and gun charges in connection with the May shooting death of 17-year-old Braylon Diaz.
Police arrested Torres Meza in Mexico, approximately 2,500 miles away from Pierce County, following an international search. Prosecutors noted the high-risk nature of the arrest during court proceedings.
“When they found him, he was located in an area of Mexico so volatile that they had to send armed black hawk helicopters to extract him. An operation that reminded me of my time in Afghanistan,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors argued that Meza poses a significant danger to the public, citing other gun-related cases against him and the circumstances surrounding his capture.
During the court hearing, prosecutors initially requested bail be set at $5 million.
However, Diaz’s family asked the court to double the amount. Johnathan Earl Grimmett, Braylon’s uncle, addressed the court to support the higher bail amount.
“As soon as he murdered my nephew, he found a way to flee the country so that he never had to get prosecuted,” Grimmett said.
The judge agreed and set bail at $10 million. Seeing Meza in the courtroom brought strong emotional reactions from the victim’s family. Grimmett described the moment he walked into the courtroom and saw the suspect.
“Emotions just kind of hit me like a wave,” Grimmett said. “I fought everything inside me in there to not look at him and not go and approach him and do something stupid.”
Grimmett spoke about his nephew’s character and the broader impact of the violence.
“And I know it’s not my fault. But he was a good boy, and he deserves to be living a rich life,” Grimmett said.
He added that the family’s hopes extend beyond their own case. “I want justice for more than just my nephew. I want other people to be safe.”
The family stressed that holding the suspect fully accountable is the only acceptable outcome for their loss. “You know, the only justice that we can get is for him to sit in there and rot for the rest of his life,” Grimmett said.
Meza is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Sept. 24. A jury trial in the case is set to begin on Oct. 5.