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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Paul Castro was on his way to watch his son play band at the Westside High School football game when he got a call from Texas VINE, a service which victims of crime can get information regarding an offender’s custody status.
“When I saw that on my caller ID, I pulled over,” Castro said. “I didn’t trust myself to be driving in the moment, and my stomach fell through, all the way down. My heart clenched. All I can think of is he’s loose. He’s on the streets in our community.”
Castro’s 17-year-old son was killed in a road rage shooting on July 6.
HPD offered a correction and an apology hours after stating a teen died, while also releasing a clearer photo of the suspect vehicle.
Castro says he was driving his two sons back from an Astros game, when he and the driver of a white Buick exchanged hand gestures.
Gerald Wayne Williams, 34, is charged with murdering the teen after police say he followed the family onto I-10 and shot several times into their truck.
Williams posted $350,000 bond on Friday and is now out of jail while he awaits trial.
“The broken system allowed that man to make bond,” Castro said.
According to records, Williams was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and served 12 years behind bars before being released in February 2020.
Prosecutors filed a motion to deny bond based on his previous record. On August 6, Judge Marc Brown set bond at $350,000.
Under the bail conditions, Williams is required to have electronic monitoring within two calendar days of his release. He must then remain under house arrest 24/7.
“He doesn’t have an ankle monitor right now. He’s on his own promise that he’s going to stay in his home,” Castro said. “He can be anywhere. I don’t know how. But what I do know is a person, who has two armed robberies and is accused of killing my son, that person is out on the streets because our system isn’t set up to protect us from him.”
Castro believes with a simple policy change, authorities would’ve been able monitor Williams as soon as he posted bond.
He now wants the community, who he says has embraced and supported his family, to help them take action and change how bail is set for some suspects.
“Every day has been a nightmare knowing my son is dead and sitting in a box,” Castro said. “I feel it’s my personable responsibility, and I am calling on the community to join me. We need to start on the county level. We need to be talking with Judge Hidalgo, our representatives, we need to be talking to everyone who represents the precincts. Posting on Facebook and Twitter is simply not enough.”