Two 20-year-old defendants who led police on chase were free from jail on multiple felony bonds

HOUSTON - Six times, the DA's office asked the 263rd Criminal District Court to revoke Nathan Ybarra's two probations.

However, Judge Melissa Morris would grant Ybarra more bonds instead.

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They're just 20-years-old and yet Ybarra and Eric Meza have each been arrested more than 20 times in Harris County alone.

"Both of these guys are basically two men crime sprees that are running amuck," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. 

Both Ybarra and Meza were free from jail on six bonds each.

"People who have multiple bonds should not be given the opportunity to be repeat offenders, and put the citizens of Houston and Harris County at risk," said Ken Nealy, First Vice President of the Houston Police Officers Union.

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Ybarra is serving two probations in Harris County and another probation in Galveston County.

"When you continuously are a repeat offender for the same offenses, you shouldn't be given any type of probation," Nealy said.

Ybarra has picked up six new criminal charges since getting probation here in July of 2023.

Instead of revoking Ybarra's 2 probations in Harris County, 263rd Judge Melissa Morris grants Ybarra yet another bond so he can leave jail.

"This is why we have lost faith in our criminal justice system," Kahan said. "Because of people like Ybarra and his co-defendant Meza."

Last Wednesday afternoon, police say they caught Meza and Ybarra in the act of stealing a vehicle in the 10300 block of the East Freeway.

"The suspects used their vehicle in an attempt to bring harm and bodily injury to one of our officers, and our officer in fear of his life did fire his weapon at the vehicle," said Nealy.

"Putting umpteenth amounts of people in danger, putting law enforcement at great risk of their lives, and even putting the defendants at risk as well," Kahan said. "None of this should have ever happened. They should have been locked up."