Texas teen arrested for shooting girlfriend 22 times back in jail for bond violation: 'Why is he free?'
Houston, Texas, teenager Frank Deleon Jr., charged with the murder of his girlfriend Diamond Alvarez, was released in January on a $250,000 bond
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Texas teenage suspect released months ago after allegedly shooting his girlfriend 22 times in a Houston neighborhood while she was out walking her dog is reportedly back in custody this week.
Frank Deleon Jr., 17, charged with the Jan. 11 murder of teenager Diamond Alvarez, was back in custody Monday after failing to comply with curfew requirements and having an "unapproved leave from his home zone on or around 5:10 p.m. to 5:12 p.m." on March 28, KPRC-TV reported, citing court records.
Deleon Jr. was initially arrested on Jan. 17 and charged with Alvarez’ murder. But just two days later, he was released on Jan. 19 after posting $250,000 bond, KTRK-TV reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TEXAS TEEN WHO ALLEGEDLY SHOT GIRLFRIEND 22 TIMES RELEASED ON BOND: COURT DOCUMENTS
Alvarez’ family said she had been outside walking her dog when they heard gunshots. Her mother, Anna Machado, and stepfather, rushed outside to find their pet alone. After scouring the neighborhood, they found Alvarez’s bloodied body lying in a field. Investigators said she was shot 22 times.
Court documents allege that Alvarez has found out Deleon Jr. was cheating on her with another teenager girl and the three wrapped into a love triangle had agreed to meet at park around 9:30 p.m.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Frank Deleon (left) is charged with the murder of Diamond Alvarez (right). (Houston Police Department/FOX 26)
Under the conditions of his bond, Deleon Jr. was placed under house arrest with a GPS monitor and ordered not to have contact with anyone involved in the case, including the second girlfriend, witnesses and any of their family members.
His release prompted a Feb. 2 protest outside the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where Alvarez’s family, friends and supporters argued Deleon Jr. should never have been given bond and should be considered a flight risk. Prosecutors noted in court how when officers arrested Deleon Jr., a suitcase with enough belongings for more than an overnight trip were found in his room.
Alvarez’s aunt, Bianca Mejia, also noted that Deleon Jr. lives in the same neighborhood as the victim’s mother and claimed the victim’s family was being harassed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Why is he free? Is her life worth only $250,000? To us, it's worth a lot more because we're not even getting justice," she told KPRC. "He's free, and he lives in the same neighborhood as the mother's family. So why is he free? The family has been harassed. Why has he not revoked the bond just yet?
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Houston advocacy group, FIEL Houston, helped organize the protest and an online petition calling for Deleon Jr.’s bail to be revoked had reportedly garnered more than 24,000 signatures.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are fully focused on getting justice for Diamond. We fully support getting violent criminals off our streets, and we will do everything in our power to convict the defendant of this vicious murder and deliver justice to Diamond’s family, her friends, and the entire community," Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement in response to the protest.