2023
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Sugar Land fundraiser gives first look at Man sentenced to new public safety training facility two 18-year terms for sexual assault of a child By Juhi Varma SPECIAL TO THE STAR
The Finest & Bravest Foundation of Sugar Land, in partnership with the City of Sugar Land, hosted a special fundraising event on October 11 called Red & Blue United at a location long talked about but never accessed by the public – Sugar Land’s new Public Safety Training Facility. The event offered a rare, one-time opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facility and connect with first responders through an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at their daily operations. “This is not just another event or another
Emmanuel Aransiola, 54, of Houston, was convicted in September of two charges of sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 18 years in prison for each crime. Courtesy Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office
venue; this is a moment in time that will likely never happen again,” foundation president and Council member Suzanne Whatley said in opening remarks. “We have the privilege tonight of celebrating where excellence meets purpose – where those who serve are prepared to lead the field in both skill and heart.” Nearly 390 guests arrived decked out in their best red and blue attire complete with sequins, cowboy boots, and hats – which didn’t stop them from enthusiastically trying on combat gear and helmets as they explored the training grounds. “This facility represents a big step forward
SEE SAFETY PAGE 2
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Attendees of the Red & Blue United event at Sugar Land’s new Public Safety Training Facility last weekend had the opportunity to watch how firefighters control the flow path of a dangerous fire. Contributed photo
EXPANDING HORIZONS UH SUGAR LAND CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING
Staff Reports In late September, a Fort Bend County jury convicted a Houston man of two charges of sexual assault of a child and sentenced him to 18 years in prison for each crime. Emmanuel Aransiola, 54, will serve the two sentences concurrently but must serve half his time before even being considered for parole, according to a news release from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office. According to Assistant District Attorney Tristyl McInnis, lead prosecutor in the case, Aransiola targeted a 15-year-old girl while she was walking in her neighborhood on November 22, 2023. The defendant and victim had not previously met, but he convinced her to get into his vehicle, where he later sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, the victim immediately disclosed the assault to her family who contacted law enforcement. Police gathered home surveillance videos and used the aid of a license plate reader to find the vehicle, which was registered to Aransiola. The victim identified the defendant in a photo line-up. DNA evidence was also secured that confirmed the defendant’s identity,
SEE CRIME PAGE 3
The University of Houston-Sugar Land’s newest “team member” – a Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot – joins campus leaders, including Associate Vice President Jay Neal and UH System Chancellor Renu Khator, for the ribbon cutting of SAB2, the campus’s newest building. Contributed photo
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
More than 120 community leaders, faculty members, students and supporters gathered at the University of Houston Sugar Land campus October 16 to mark the grand opening of the
Sugar Land Academic Building 2 (SAB2). “People shouldn’t have to leave Sugar Land to get a world-class education,” University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator said. “We have a responsibility to offer programs right here.”
The three-story, 75,000-squarefoot facility is the newest addition to the growing campus and will house programs in technology and engineering. SAB2 opened earlier this fall for programs from the Cullen College of Engineering, but last week’s ribbon cutting marked
its official inauguration. Khator reflected on the community’s long-standing desire to see the Sugar Land campus reach its full potential, recalling a pivotal meeting years ago when Welcome Wilson Sr.
SEE UHSL PAGE 4
Sugar Land woman files new lawsuit against Fort Bend County medical examiner By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Just a week after a federal magistrate dismissed a Sugar Land woman’s federal lawsuit against the Fort Bend County medical examiner, filed a new one – with new allegations – stemming from the investigation of her husband’s 2020 death.
In December 2022, Yvette Atkinson filed a civil suit against Dr. Stephen Pulstilnik, along with Fort Bend County and County Judge JP George and other members of Commissioners Court in the U.S. Southern District of Texas. In the lawsuit, Atkinson, then represented by New York-based attorney Ty Clevenger, alleged that
Pulstinik, in a fit of pique after a heated argument with her brother, refused to issue a death certificate for her husband, Simon Atkinson, who died of a gunshot wound at their Sugar Land home on June 5, 2020.
SEE LAWSUIT PAGE 4
A Sugar Land woman has filed a new lawsuit against Fort Bend County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Pulstilnik stemming from the investigation of her husband’s 2020 death. Here, Pulstilnik is seen addressing Fort Bend County Commissioners Court earlier this year. Photo by Ken Fountain
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