Parolee suspected in three killings arrested
HOUSTON—A Houston-area parolee with a long criminal record whom police said had cut off an ankle monitor days before the start of a criminal rampage was charged with multiple capital murder counts after his arrest Tuesday as a suspect in three killings.
Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, 46, has been charged with one capital murder count each in the slayings of Pamela Johnson and Allie Barrow. Johnson, 62, was found shot to death in her Cypress-area home Friday; Barrow, 28, was found shot dead inside a mattress store in Houston on Saturday.
Rodriguez could be charged with a third capital murder count today in the fatal shooting of a man inside another mattress store in Houston on Monday, 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 Tuesday, television station KHOU reported. The station reports the chain will reopen those stores Wednesday.
The suspect’s criminal history dates back to at least 1989 when he was charged with a variety of offenses that include attempted aggravated sexual abuse, burglary and auto theft. 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 Rodriguez 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. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office was notified and a deputy attempted to stop the Sentra, but it sped away, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The car came to a stop after a chase lasting about 15 minutes and Rodriguez was taken into custody, he said. A handgun was found in the car, which police say was stolen from one of his victims.
“It’s possible that he was looking to score his next victim so we’re very relieved, very thankful to the citizens of Harris County for calling in, for being diligent and reporting this to us so that we could take action,” Gonzalez said during a news conference.