Judge frees repeat violent offender by granting 16 bonds, takes no action against convicted sex offender
Harris County Criminal District County Judge freed repeat violent offender by granting him 16 total bonds
A Harris County Criminal District Judge has freed a repeat violent offender by granting him a total of 16 bonds. That same judge took no action against a convicted sex offender who's now a wanted fugitive. FOX 26 Houston’s Randy Wallace tells us more in his ongoing Breaking Bond segment.
HOUSTON - Andrew Cruz is only 23 but he already has an array of mug shots.
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"He’s pretty much shown the court I’m going to commit crimes every time you let me out," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. "From where we sit, when Is enough enough?"
The only person who can answer that question is 232nd Criminal District Court Judge Josh Hill.
Since 2017, he had granted Cruz a total of 16 bonds.
"Of which 6 are for Aggravated felonies including 4 aggravated robberies with a deadly weapon aggravated assault," Kahan said.
"He is a repeat violent offender who needs to be locked up and away from society," said Douglas Griffith President of the Houston Police Officers Union. "Sadly our courts are failing us in that."
Last Fall the DA’s office filed a motion asking Judge Hill to revoke Cruz’s bond and put him in jail.
"A month later for some inexplicable reason there’s no documentation the court gives him another bond," Kahan said.
"We arrest these violent offenders put them in jail over and over again and the courts continue to let them out," said Griffith,
Cruz is free from jail on bonds totaling $300,000. That means he had to come up with around $30,000. Now guess who's paying for his attorney.
"You and I - the taxpayers are and that makes no sense," said Kahan.
Even more troubling than Cruz is 23-year-old Carlos Martinez, a registered sex offender. In 2018 Judge Josh Hill put Martinez on deferred probation for 5 years for sexual assault of a child.
Martinez has spent his time on probation picking up 6 new criminal charges including aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. The DA's office repeatedly asked Judge Hill to revoke Martinez’s probation and sentence him to prison for 5 to 99 years. Hill let Martinez remain free.
"Now we have no clue where Carlos Martinez is he’s now a wanted fugitive," Kahan said.
"That just blows my mind," said Griffith.