Magistrate grants $100 bond to habitual offender accused of breaking into police vehicle, stealing weapons

HOUSTON - Earlier this month, 28-year-old Henry Wilson only needed $10 to post bond and walk out of jail.

According to his criminal history, he's spent more than a decade breaking into vehicles and stealing guns.

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"If you want to define a habitual offender, particularly a property offender, you've got to put Henry Wilson in your top five," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

Since 2012, Wilson has racked up eight misdemeanor convictions and three felony convictions.

"He's been in and out of the system multiple times," said Doug Griffith President of the Houston Police Officers Union. 

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And mostly for the same thing, burglary of a motor vehicle and stealing guns.

"Half of Houston has been in that situation where they've had their car broken into," Griffith said. "I know it happened to me twice."

"People like Wilson, property offenders wreak more havoc in a community than quite frankly a good percentage of violent offenders," said Kahan.

Last March, Wilson was charged with four felonies including aggravated robbery and felon in possession of a weapon.

He was released on bonds totaling around $90,000.

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Recently, Wilson was arrested again after he allegedly broke into a police vehicle and stole weapons.

"A magistrate gives him a $100 bond," Kahan said. "I'm sure in Mr. Wilson's mind he thought, 'Man, all you got to do is cough up $10, because he was acting as his own bondsmen."

"And that's the problem we have with these magistrates," said Griffith. "They're not held accountable by anybody, they're a group handpicked by Commissioners Court, and we have this issue time and time again."

184th Criminal District Court Judge Katherine Thomas obviously felt a $100 bond was not sufficient for a defendant like Henry Wilson.

"The judge herself yanked the $100 bond, revoked it, and remanded him back into custody, and set a much higher bond at $40,000," Kahan said.