BREAKING BOND: FOX 26 finds another repeat violent offender on parole granted PR bond for new criminal charges
HOUSTON - Being on parole means a defendant is still serving their sentence not behind bars, but in the community. That doesn't stop some judges and magistrates from treating them like first-time offenders.
"You have violent offenders on parole charged with new felonies that are getting out before you can blink, generally within 24 hours," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.
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The most recent one we've found is 29-year-old Tyrone Byrd.
In 2014, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for aggravated robbery.
Since his parole in 2021, he's been convicted of felony evading arrest, and he's been charged with that crime two additional times.
"They gave him a PR bond, two PR bonds. Within 24 hours, he's back out," Kahan said.
Last March, Byrd became a wanted fugitive. Just last week, he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
In April, we told you about Jesus Garcia, after he got arrested while on parole. His bond was set at just $25,000.
The parole division issued a warrant for his arrest. Unbelievably, he appeared in court three times as a wanted fugitive, but no one checked to see.
"In reality, our courts need to be checking these individuals when they come back in. Especially if they know they're on probation or parole," said Doug Griffith, President of the Houston Police Officers Union.
During his time as a wanted fugitive, Garcia allegedly committed a murder.
Last November, a magistrate gave parolee Dominique Menifee a PR bond.
Six days later, police say he killed Sherniqua Banks in front of her 3-year-old son.
"If she would have done what she was supposed to do, he wouldn't have killed her," Sherniqua's mother Lisa Callaway told us last fall.
"We need legislation basically saying, you're on parole for a violent offense, you are not going to get a PR bond," said Kahan.
Lawmakers should also consider making it a law to hold all parolees 24 to 48 hours to give the parole board a chance to take action before they are freed by a judge or magistrate.
"If that had happened in several of these cases, I know of at least two people that would be alive today."