The disturbing story of a wanted Houston murder suspect that was given bond for a previous murder and is now charged with another murder while he was out on bond.
These stories have become far too typical here.
ABC-13 reports that Gerald Washington:
“was granted deferred adjudication, which is similar to probation, for two counts of burglary to a building.
His conditions were amended several times after he allegedly violated them.
Then, in October 2018, he was charged with murder and two aggravated assaults.
Court records state in October 2017, he got into a car and shot three women, killing one of them...
Despite that, a judge later gave Washington a $200,000 bond, which he made, and was required to wear a GPS monitoring device. Even then, there were violations along the way.
For example, court records show he tested positive just two weeks on "January 30, 2020 for amphetamines & methamphetamines."
While out on bond, police said he committed another murder this month. Then, according to officials, he tampered with his GPS ankle monitor and is currently a fugitive at-large”.
HPOU’s Joe Gamaldi tweeted in response to the story, “People are dying needlessly in our community because we have an elected DA and Judges who are either incapable or unwilling to make logical decisions. It has to stop! #NotFearmongeringJustFacts”
Crime Stoppers Andy Kahan tells ABC-13, “when you think about it, here's someone who's on probation, deferred adjudication, just another form of probation, one of the primary rules and conditions of deferred adjudication and probation is not to violate any laws of society.Being arrested for not one, not two, but three violent offenses generally means you violated those conditions of your probation."
Also, HPOU points out the consequences of "the so called 'reform' going on in Harris County".