Houston Police Jose Gilberto Rodriguez.
A sex offender who police have called a “possible serial killer” has been arrested after a manhunt that spanned several hours in the Houston, Texas, area. Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, 46, was caught Tuesday morning, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said.
“Our community can breathe a sigh of relief this morning as a result of the dedication and excellence,” of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department, Acevedo said on Twitter. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Rodriguez, who has a lengthy criminal record that dates back several decades, was taken into custody at the intersection of North Eldridge Parkway and Fallbrook Drive. Rodriguez is accused in the shooting deaths of two women and a man, identified as Allie Barrow, Pamela Johnson and Edward Magana.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Rodriguez Is Suspected of Killing 2 People in Attacks at Mattress Stores & a Woman in Her Home, Along With a Home Invasion & the Shooting of a Bus Driver
Jose Gilberto Rodriguez.
Jose Gilberto Rodriguez is accused of a crime spree in the Houston and Harris County, Texas, area that spanned several days and included home invasions, a street robbery and two fatal shootings at mattress stores. According to police, the spree began July 9 with a home invasion on Foxboro Lane in Harris County. No one was injured during that incident. On Friday, July 13, a 62-year-old woman was found dead in her home following a home invasion. Police have identified her as Pamela Johnson. According to police, Rodriguez stole Johnson’s car during that incident.
On Saturday, July 14, the manager of Mattress Firm in the Willowbrook area was shot in the head in the store’s back office about 7 p.m., just before closing, according to the Houston Chronicle. Allie Barrow, 28, was found stuffed between mattresses, KTRK-TV reports. She was found by another employee.
Police said surveillance cameras at the nearby Willowbrook Mall captured Rodriguez walking in the area after getting out of Johnson’s missing PT Cruiser. The car was found Saturday in the mall parking lot.
On Monday, July 16, police said a 22-year-old bus driver was shot during an apparent attempted robbery in the Frenchtown area of Houston. The shooting happened about 3:30 a.m. The 22-year-old driver, whose name hasn’t been released, was shot in the abdomen and critically injured. His condition was not immediately known Tuesday, but he is expected to survive.
The next shooting occurred about 2:20 p.m. that same day. A Mattress One employee was fatally shot inside a store on North Freeway near Crosstimbers, Houston Police said. The Mattress One employee was identified as Edward Magana, 57, his son, Raul, told KPRC-TV.
The victims have been identified as (clockwise from top left) Allie Barrow, Edward Magana and Pamela Johnson.
Magana was a father of four from El Salvador, his son told the news station. “Mattress One is deeply saddened and would like to offer its deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of its deceased associate,” the company said in a statement. “On July 16th we lost a valued team member and were very saddened by the events that transpired. We are fully cooperating with all law enforcement to quickly bring justice to this matter. Out of respect for the team member, his family and the law enforcement investigation we will refrain from commenting further at this time.”
Johnson, who was killed in her home, worked for several years at a Kroger store. She was a widow who struggled with severe hearing issues, but was beloved in her neighborhood. A vigil was held on Sunday after her death was made public. “Always kept to herself. Nicest woman. Outside doing Bible study on her driveway at least two to three times a day. Sitting out reading her Bible all day,” neighbor Ross Bell told KTRK-TV.
Barrow was a native of Terrell, Texas, and had worked at Mattress Firm since 2017, according to her Facebook page. She studied history and English at Sam Houston State University. Her friend, Miranda Eason, told the Houston Chronicle that Barrow was “smart, loving and caring,” telling the newspaper, “She lit up the whole room. Everyone loved her.”
Mattress Firm CEO Steve Sagner said in a statement, “We’re deeply saddened to learn that one of our team members was found deceased at a store in Houston. We send our sincere condolences to this team member’s family, friends and loved ones. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement. Out of respect for the person involved, her family and the ongoing investigation, we will offer no further comment at this time.”
Police said they are still investigating the motive for the crime spree, but said they are treating Rodriguez as a “possible serial killer.” In press releases and Twitter statements, police officials repeatedly referred to Rodriguez as a wanted serial killer.
“A serial killer is three or more murders — separate homicides — usually without a motive,” Acevedo said at a press conference. “This guy’s motive appears to be robbery in a lot of cases.” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters charges are pending against Rodriguez. “At this point, we hope that he can be held accountable and the full extent of the law can be applied,” Gonzalez said.
2. A Tipster Told Police They Spotted Rodriguez in a Car in Their Neighborhood & He Was Caught After a Police Chase
Need public’s help in identifying this man. Possible suspect in the murder of Ms. Pamela Johnson (62 yrs), killed in her home in Cypress. Possibly a Hispanic male, 30-35, 5’07”-5’09”, thin build, short hair w tattoos on both forearms. Call 713-274-9100 or 713-222-8477 #HouNew
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said a tipster called and said they had spotted Jose Gilberto Rodriguez Tuesday morning driving in a dark Nissan Sentra that belonged to one of the murder victims, according to KTRK-TV. Police had issued an alert about the car and released photos of it to the public.
After a brief police chase that began on Eldridge and Fallbrook, Rodriguez was taken into custody, Gonzalez said. He said the chase lasted about 15 minutes and Rodriguez was then taken into custody without incident.
Police had warned that Rodriguez was armed and dangerous and had told the public to not approach him. Gonzalez said that the person who made the tip reported that Rodriguez was seen knocking on doors in a neighborhood and pretending to be looking for someone. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that Rodriguez had been “floating around” the Houston area where his parents still live. The shootings happened in Houston and three suburbs, Cypress, Willowbrook and north Eastext, Acevedo said, and included victims of different ages and genders. A motive has not been determined.
Acevedo said charges have not yet been filed against Rodriguez, but he is being held on a parole violation.
3. Rodriguez Has Convictions for Burglary, Attempted Aggravated Sex Assault, Auto Theft & Criminal Trespassing Dating to 1989
Jose Gilberto Rodriguez has a lengthy criminal record that dates back to 1989, and is a registered sex offender, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety website. Rodriguez was convicted in 1989 of attempt to commit aggravated sexual assault. The victim in that case was a 16-year-old girl, according to the public safety department’s website. He was ordered to register as a sex offender for 20 years. He was classified as a “high” risk level sex offender, according to the state database.
Rodriguez also has convictions for burglary, auto theft and criminal trespassing. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for burglary of a habitation in 1990 and 20 years in prison on the sexual assault charge. The crimes happened in the Houston area, where Rodriguez grew up.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Rodriguez was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for auto theft in Montgomery County, Texas. That sentence ran concurrently with the sexual assault and burglary sentences, the newspaper reports. In 1992, Rodriguez was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison after he was convicted of possession of a deadly weapon inside a penitentiary while being housed at the Coffield Unit in Anderson County, according to the Chronicle.
4. He Was Released From Prison Last September & Police Believe He Cut Off His Ankle Monitor
Our Constable Deputies were involved in a police pursuit this morning with the Harris County Sheriff’s office on the wanted murder suspect Jose Gilberto Rodriguez. Suspect is in custody and there are no reported injuries to deputies. Nice work!! # Teamwork
Rodriguez was released from prison on parole in September 2017, KTRK-TV reports. According to the news station, Rodriguez is belied to have cut off an ankle monitor that had been tracking his movements. He had been paroled to a halfway house. The Houston Chronicle reports that it was not the parole board’s decision to release Rodriguez. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel told the newspaper that the state had to release Rodriguez because of the amount of time he had served in prison.
Rodriguez was scheduled to be on parole supervision until 2023, the newspaper reports. According to KTRK-TV, Rodriguez was cut off his ankle monitor on July 8. Rodriguez lived in a Dallas halfway house after his release from prison. He then had been living at a halfway house in Houston from December 2017 to March 2018, when he moved into an apartment, the news station reports. He had a job working at Tyson Chicken on the east side of Houston, according to KTRK. He had been meeting with his parole officer several times a month and passed a random drug test in May, the news station reports.
Police Chief Art Acevedo called Rodriguez “extremely dangerous.” Acevedo said during a press conference prior to Rodriguez’s arrest, “The sooner we can get him into custody, the sooner we can all breathe a little better.”
Dennis Lippert, who lives near where Rodriguez was caught, told KTRK, “It is a shame that people lost their lives over this criminal, like this guy, you know, that never should have been released.”
5. Police Say They’re ‘Relieved’ an Arrest Was Made Because They Think Rodriguez Was Casing a Neighborhood When He Was Found
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a press conference that authorities are “relieved” Rodriguez was caught when he was, because they believe he might have been casing the neighborhood where he was caught. The tipster who reported seeing him told police he was walking around a neighborhood and knocking on doors.
“It’s possible that he was casing the neighborhood in search of his next victim,” Gonzalez said at a press conference. “So thanks to the alert work of that citizen and swift action, we were able to get involved. We’re very relieved this morning because again, we feel that he was possibly casing the area.”
Gonzalez said a pistol was found in the car Rodriguez was driving.
