More great work by Fox 26’s Randy Wallace shining a light on the activist judges in Harris County repeatedly freeing violent offenders.
351st Criminal District Court Judge Natalia Cornelio reduced the bond of CAPITAL MURDER defendant Jonathan Vera from $250,000 to just $50,000.
So all it took was $5,000 for an accused murderer to be walking the streets free.
On October 19, 2017, police say Jonathan Vera and two other men killed Silvano Cortez during a home invasion in the Greenspoint area.
The Houston Chronicle reported at the time:
"The homeowner, Silvano Cortez, was shot and killed as three men broke into his home, according to the Houston Police Department.
Around 1:45 a.m. that morning, an acquaintance of Cortez's who lives at the house was leaving for work when three armed men approached him and forced their way into the house. The men forced the acquaintance to the ground, police said, as they went through the house.
The three men then allegedly burst into Cortez's room where he and his wife were sleeping and held them both at gunpoint. At some point during that confrontation, one of the men opened fire – fatally striking Cortez, police said.
As the three men fled the home, they opened fire toward the house once again, striking the acquaintance in the leg. He survived his injuries, police said."
Vera was underage at the time of the murder but was certified to stand trial as an adult.
While he was in the Harris County Jail, he was actually charged with another felony, this time harassment of a public servant.
He was held on $250,000 bond until judge Cornelio reduced his bond to $50,000.
Doug Griffith president of the Houston Police Officers Union tells Fox 26, “that is insane. Two years ago that would have been an aggravated assault bond."
Crime Stoppers Andy Kahan adds, “the 351st District Court, I mean, lowered it to what I've never seen in my career. $50,000 for capital murder."
Last week, Vera was arrested and is now charged with manslaughter in the death of Summer Chester.
Investigators say he ran a red light.
Kahan says “the reduction of his bond from $250,000 to $50,000 led to the killing of Summer Chester. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it."