THE AMBUSH SLAYER OF DEPUTY SANDEEP DHALIWAL WAS WANTED AS A PAROLE VIOLATOR SINCE JANUARY 2017

Robert Solis, alleged killer of Harris County Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, has lengthy criminal history

By Deborah Wrigley

KTRK
September 29, 2019

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Robert Solis has a criminal history that dates back 25 years. Among the earliest entries are arrests for assault with bodily injury, robbery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.

Those charges were dismissed, according to court documents. In 2002, charges for aggravated kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon also came. Solis was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released on parole in 2014.

Two years later, still on parole, Solis was arrested for a DUI. The parole board was informed but did not revoke his parole and return him to prison.

Two years ago, his then-girlfriend filed an affidavit, accusing him of assaulting her. The affidavit was forwarded to his parole officer, and according to a TDCJ spokesperson, a blue warrant was issued for Solis.

"That's when he flew the coop," said Crimestoppers victim's advocate Andy Kahan. "He's been a fugitive from justice for almost three years and nobody knew it."

Kahan pointed to murders by other violent offenders who were paroled, only to escalate. He pointed to the murder of a Bellaire Pizza clerk three years ago.

He said there are thousands of blue warrants out for parole violators.

"We just don't know how many of those are violent offenders," Kahan said.

Solis would qualify as one. He was pulled over on a traffic stop Friday by Harris County Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, who would have seen an active warrant attached to Solis when he pulled it up in his computer.

A few minutes later, he allegedly fatally shot Dhaliwal and was arrested walking out of a Marble Slab Creamery.

Kahan believes if the warrant had been acted on before that fatal traffic stop, a family wouldn't have been shattered by loss, and law enforcement wouldn't be mourning the death of one of their own.

"We can't change what happened, but when violent offenders go missing on parole, letting everyone know they're missing, and we can get them picked up as opposed to years later, after they allegedly murder a deputy," Kahan said.