Man who cut off monitor suspected in 3 killings

Criminal history dates back to 1989 when he was charged with a variety of offences

AHouston-area parolee who cut off an ankle monitor days before the start of a criminal rampage now faces capital murder charges in two killings — and possibly a third — after a manhunt led to his capture on Tuesday, authorities said.

Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, 46, has been charged with one capital murder count each in the shooting deaths of Pamela Johnson and Allie Barrow. Johnson, 62, was found dead on Friday in her Cypress-area home, and Barrow, 28, was found dead Saturday inside a Houston mattress store.

Rodriguez, who has a lengthy criminal history, could be charged with a third capital murder count Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a man on Monday inside another mattress store in Houston, said Sgt. David Crane of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have not identified the third victim.

The killing rampage so alarmed the community that one mattress retail chain, Mattress Firm, closed its Houston-area stores on Tuesday.

The suspect’s criminal history dates back to at least 1989 when he was charged with a variety of offences that include attempted aggravated sexual abuse, burglary and auto theft.

Tip from a caller

He spent decades in state prison and while there was convicted of possession of a deadly weapon.

He was released on parole in September and was being tracked by an ankle monitor that he cut off days before the July 9 start of the rampage, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. Sheriff’s deputies acting on a tip from a caller arrested Rodriguez after the caller spotted a Nissan Sentra that authorities had said was being driven by Rodriguez.