19-year-old accused robber, who caused lockdown at southwest side high school, free from jail on bond
HOUSTON - The Houston Independent School District doesn't want to say if it has a policy regarding students out of jail on bond.
Apparently, the district has no idea how many students might fall into that category.
BACKGROUND: 3 charged after Houston officer-involved shooting leads to arrest at Wisdom High School
Parents wanted to know how 19-year-old Mahamoudou Sylla was able to run into Wisdom High School last Thursday while running from police causing a lockdown.
He's a student, that's how he gained entry HISD said.
Here's something they didn't tell everyone about Sylla.
"He was out on multiple bonds," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. "The first bond was for evading arrest, the second bond was really serious aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon with three other co-defendants."
"In my 20 something years of being a lawyer, I've never seen someone who is on bond and who is in school, be allowed to return to that school," said defense attorney Emily Detoto.
Not only was Sylla free from jail on bond since last September, he was ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
"But he's allowed certain conditions," Kahan said. "One of the conditions is he could be in school."
When we asked HISD what it's policy is regarding students free from jail on bond, we were told to look up chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code.
"What they normally do is send them to an alternative school, so the can continue with their education," Detoto said. "It makes the faculty at their original school feel safer, students feel safer, parents feel safer."
"I also know from years of experience that they're sent to an alternative high school, because they're on bond," said Kahan.
FULL PRESS CONFERENCE: HPD Chief discusses officer-involved shooting, Wisdom High School lockdown
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner gives details after an officer-involved shooting near an apartment complex in the 6400 block of Westheimer Road on Thursday afternoon where one suspect was wounded and police say a second suspect may have run into Wisdom High School.
So if HISD is claiming students out on bond go to alternative schools, then why was Sylla still a student at Wisdom High School?
"Obviously that didn't happen, because obviously he's still a student at Wisdom High School, because he buzzed in," Kahan said.
"I do understand the presumption of innocence," Detoto said. "But as a parent, I would like to know if there's someone on bond for a violent offense being allowed to be in class next to my child. I think that any parent would want to be notified."