Man sentenced for stealing memorial to slain teen

A man who was among four people responsible for the destruction of "Forever," a memorial horse statue honoring slain teenager Lauren Landavazo, has been sentenced to serve time behind bars, according to court documents and a media release from the Wichita County District Attorney's Office.

Zachary Nathaniel Kaiser, 19, was sentenced to two years in state jail by 78th District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy, who also revoked his probation Friday, according to court documents.

The horse statute at McNiel Middle School inspired by Lauren and shooting victim Makayla Smith was stolen Oct. 1, 2020.

The 13-year-old friends were walking home from McNiel when Lauren was shot to death, and Smith was wounded on Sept. 20, 2016.

Kennedy ordered Kaiser to pay a $4,000 fine when she gave him the maximum state-jail sentence for theft of property worth $2,500 to $30,000, court records show.

Smith helped paint the first "Forever" horse installed at McNiel in May 2017. The horse honored Smith and memorialize Lauren.

Kody Austin Lott is serving life in prison for Lauren's murder and 20 years for shooting Smith. The shooting sparked outrage among Wichita Falls community members, who rallied around Lauren's stricken parents, Bianka and Vern Landavazo, in the wake of their daughter's death.

The Landavazos wanted the defendants to each have an opportunity to correct their behavior, according to a media release from the DA's Office. They had asked Criminal Chief Dobie Kosub to recommend probation.

Kosub agreed, and Kennedy suspended a two-year state jail sentence and placed Kaiser on a four-year period of probation, according to the media release. He lasted four months.

“Defendants who are granted a second chance on probation should take that seriously,” Kosub said in a media release. “The Landavazo family showed these defendants a tremendous measure of grace, and Mr. Kaiser chose to ignore their well wishes."

Kosub said Kaiser didn't take his second chance seriously, and he found out Wichita County means business.

"He has earned every day of his incarceration," Kosub said.

Kaiser has the right to appeal the decision, but he has not indicated if he will do so, according to the media release.

He was being held Wednesday in the Wichita County Law Enforcement Center, according to online jail records.

The judge found Kaiser violated the terms of his probation by consuming alcohol, living with a convicted felon who was on probation, failing to report to his probation officer in December, January and February, not having a job, not paying certain fees and committing other infractions, according to court documents.

A new "Forever" horse was installed in May 2021 to replace the one that was broken from its base and stolen, according to a previous Times Record News story.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Kaiser plea for Lauren Landavazo's Forever Horse theft