A convicted felon in Texas posted bond on a gun charge just two-and-a-half weeks before being arrested for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, CBS Austin reported.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office said that 20-year-old Martin Rodriguez was allowed to post bond on Dec. 15 despite having been convicted of a felony charge three months earlier, according to the outlet.
Court documents show Rodriguez, who was sentenced to 60 days in jail in September for a felony charge of driving a stolen vehicle, had a long criminal history and had been caught with weapons on multiple occasions, CBS Austin reported. (RELATED: 43-Time Felon Charged With Woman’s Murder While Out On Bond)
Twenty-year-old Martin Rodriguez was allowed to post bond on a felony gun charge, despite having been convicted of a felony charge three months earlier, Two and a half weeks later, he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend.https://t.co/xUEi8md34W
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) January 6, 2024
On New Year’s Day, Rodriguez allegedly shot his 19-year-old girlfriend, Naomi Davis, before shooting himself, FOX7 reported.
Investigators called to the scene found Davis unresponsive and said that Rodriguez was still attacking her, according to the outlet.
Police said that despite his injuries, Rodriquez resisted arrest, FOX7 noted. He was then taken to a local hospital to be treated for the self-inflicted gunshot wound and is currently in stable condition, according to the outlet.
Rodriguez is charged with the first-degree murder of Davis, who died at the scene, FOX7 reported.
The Austin Police Association noted that this was not an isolated incident, highlighting another recent case of a violent offender who was released on bond and arrested for murder soon after, according to CBS Austin.
“Releasing them out in the community, this is not only frustrating, it impacts morale,” Cleo Petricek, co-founder of citizens group Save Austin Now, told CBS Austin. “You basically have officers saying ‘What’s the point, what are we doing here? We’re fighting the bad guys, we’re putting them away, so that they don’t re-offend or further victimize vulnerable communities, and the county and the judges are not holding their side of the bargain.’”