The arrests were announced Friday morning at a press conference attended by Police Chief Troy Finner, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
The suspects arrested are Anthony Rayshard Jenkins (21) and Frederick Dewayne Jackson (19). Both men were out on bond at the time of the murder.
“It should surprise no one at this point in Harris County, Texas, that both individuals were already out on bond, one on multiple bonds,” said Ogg, who earlier this year testified before the Texas Legislature to advocate laws that would keep violent habitual offenders from release.
According to county records, the 232nd District Court under Judge Josh Hill had released Jenkins on a $40,000 bond for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Ogg noted that Jenkins was also known to law enforcement as a member of a Houston-based gang known as YSB or the Young Scott Block Gang.
Jackson had a prior conviction and had been released on five bonds since August of 2020. His charges included aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Also known to have gang ties, Jackson had removed an ankle monitor and failed to appear for an August 2021 court date. His bond was revoked by the 184th District Court under Judge Abigail Anastasio.
Ogg reiterated that she, along with Turner and Finner, were opposed to release of suspects on multiple bonds and said that felony bond policies were at least partially to blame for driving up the local crime rate.
“Bail is the thread unraveling community safety,” warned Ogg.
Turner said that a tip given to Crime Stoppers Houston had led to the arrests. Earlier this week Tilmann Fertitta announced he would add to a reward fund for information on the shooting bringing the total reward to $100,000.
In a written statement, Crime Stoppers Houston said they were awaiting confirmation from the police department as to which tip led to the arrests, and echoed Ogg’s comments about bail practices in Harris County.
“For two years, we have been sounding the alarm on the negative impact of felony bond reform and the repeated releasing of violent defendants into our streets. We are thankful for Mayor Sylvester Turner, District Attorney Kim Ogg and HPD Chief Troy Finner’s work and comments today. We will also continue to work with stakeholders and the community on what must be done to keep our community safe. We will do whatever we can to stop this utter carelessness and chaos.”
Crime Stoppers added that the reward payout on the case has the potential to be the largest in the organization’s 40-year history.
Police say they are seeking a third suspect in relation to the case but are not releasing details currently.
In response to a reporter’s question, Ogg said there is an indication that the suspects were engaged in robbery to raise funds for another individual’s bail.
The district attorney also noted that there are approximately 4,000 people out on bail with ankle monitors.
“I think these can and do give the public a false sense of security, because they are dismantled,” said Ogg.
State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) has once again introduced legislation to reform felony bond practices. Senate Bill (SB) 6, has already passed the Senate and will be voted on in the House Friday. Harris County officially registered in opposition to the bill.
###
Disclosure: Unlike almost every other media outlet, The Texan is not beholden to any special interests, does not apply for any type of state or federal funding, and relies exclusively on its readers for financial support. If you’d like to become one of the people we’re financially accountable to, click here to subscribe.
Holly Hansen
Holly Hansen is a regional reporter for The Texan living in Harris County. Her former column, “All In Perspective” ran in The Georgetown Advocate, Jarrell Star Ledger, and The Hill Country News, and she has contributed to a variety of Texas digital media outlets. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a degree in History, and in addition to writing about politics and policy, also writes about faith and culture.
