Deputy Dhaliwal's murder prompts call for parole reform in Texas

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to give an interview amid criticism over the parole granted to Robert Solis, the man accused of murdering Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.

Crime Stoppers’ Andy Kahan called out the board’s presiding officer David Gutiérrez in an interview with FOX 26 Monday, saying Dhaliwal’s murder could have been prevented had the board revoked Solis’ parole after he was convicted of a crime while on parole.

“Public safety has to be priority as opposed to giving violent offenders chance after chance,” said Kahan.

Solis was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon but went on parole after just 12 years. The board allowed him to remain on parole after being convicted of a DWI.

Kahan says the parole board needs to answer for its negligence with a violent criminal.

“If they had revoked his parole and he was sent back to prison, none of the events that occurred Friday afternoon would have occurred,” said Kahan. “It’s potentially possible he would still be in prison today.”

The board declined to interview with FOX, instead sending this statement:

Parole board data shows, each year, an average of 6,340 offenders who are on parole go on to be convicted of new crimes, yet their parole is not revoked.

 Kahan says he’s tried twice to get bills passed into Texas law to change how the parole boards operates, but those bills did not pass the State Senate.