Accused killer walks free for 2 weeks after ankle monitor is repossessed due to missed payments
By Brittany Jeffers
Click2Houston
October 3, 2019
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - An accused killer was allowed to walk free for two weeks after his ankle monitoring device was repossessed.
Clint Walker is charged with capital murder and has an extensive criminal background.
According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Walker was released on a $100,000 bond in June and was required to wear a GPS monitoring device. When he couldn’t pay the monthly fee to the service provider, Guarding Public Service, the provider removed it Sept. 19 without an order from the court, according to authorities.
Walker was located Wednesday.
“We were very concerned,” said First Assistant to the District Attorney David Mitcham. "It does raise concerns with the District Attorney's Office in terms of whether or not this a widespread problem, and we don’t want any repetition of this.”
Mitcham said District Attorney Kim Ogg sent a letter to Harris County Pretrial Services and the Country Corrections Department citing “serious public safety concerns” and a “troubling loophole” over the incident.
“There is no loophole,” Teresa May, with the Harris County Corrections Department, said.
May said that the blame lies with the vender, Guarding Public Service. She said that the company “committed a serious violation to the memorandum of understanding" by not reporting Walker's failure to pay. Upon learning about the incident, she said that the vendor was terminated immediately.
Guarding Public Service said that the accusation is untrue.
Here's the company's statement:
"That accusation is untrue.
"Guarding Public Safety has never failed to notify the proper authorities when an ankle monitor is removed.
"We send immediate notifications of any violations of the judges order to the pre-trial release department in Harris County, known as HCCSC.
"Immediate notification is sent when a monitor is removed."
Harris County Pretrial Services said Walker was not under the supervision of HCPS. "For clarification, we do not supervise defendants that are released on any form of secured bonds (cash or surety)," the department said.
Hugo Garcia told KPRC 2 that he is outraged that Walker was able to roam free for so long. Walker is accused of killing Garcia's father, 59-year-old Enrique Garcia, in 2016. Enrique Garcia was working as a security guard at a game room in north Harris County when he was shot to death.
"I would like to know why, why he was running the streets unmonitored?" Hugo Garcia said.
Garcia said he doesn’t believe that Walker should have been out on bond in the first place but someone has to answer for this.
"I believe something has to be done immediately," Garcia said.
Walker is due in court Monday.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Charged with capital murder and with an extensive criminal background, why in the fuck did DA Kim Ogg’s office let this guy get out of jail?
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