HOUSTON – In less than a month, two Harris County murder defendants have allegedly cut off their ankle monitors and disappeared before trial, something Crime Stoppers Houston says should raise major concerns about public safety and electronic monitoring.
The latest case involves 32-year-old Walter Pozos, who is now a wanted fugitive after prosecutors said he removed his GPS ankle monitor and failed to appear for his murder trial last week.
According to Harris County court documents, Pozos was charged with murder after investigators said he was driving at a high rate of speed while evading police in July 2023 when he crashed and killed a man.
Pozos had already gone to trial once this past February, but a judge declared a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Crime Stoppers Houston is now offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
“The public is our best eyes and ears out there,” said Andy Kahn, director of victim services for Crime Stoppers Houston.
Pozos is now the second Harris County murder defendant in less than a month accused of removing an ankle monitor while awaiting trial.
Earlier this month, investigators said Lee Gilley — who was awaiting trial in the murder of his pregnant wife — cut off his ankle monitor and fled the country to Italy before trial.
“I wish I could tell you it was an anomaly, but it’s par for the course and this is not unusual,” Kahn said.
Kahn said while these types of cases may not always make headlines, defendants removing ankle monitors while out on bond happens more often than many people realize.
“It’s more common than you think,” Kahn said.
He said defendants facing potentially lengthy prison sentences may feel they have little to lose by fleeing before trial.
“In Gilley’s case, he’s looking at a potential life without parole sentence,” Kahn said. “What more are you gonna do to him if you catch him?”
Kahn also questioned the bond amount in Pozos’ case.
Court records show Pozos was released on a $25,000 bond for murder and another $5,000 bond tied to an aggravated assault case.
“It’s been over a decade, if not more, that I’ve seen someone get a $25,000 bond for murder,” Kahn said. “When I first saw it, I thought it was a typo.”
Kahn said there is nothing physically preventing someone from removing the device and warned the public against assuming electronic monitoring guarantees safety.
“You are given a false sense of security to believe that an ankle monitor is gonna actually prevent someone from committing another crime,” Kahn said.