“Almost a year ago today, Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez was shot and killed when he interrupted three men attempting to steal a catalytic converter from his personal vehicle outside a grocery store,” stated Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) throughout a state Senate Criminal Justice Committee listening to.
On March 31, 2022, Almendarez had simply left a Houston-area grocery retailer together with his spouse Flor Zarzoza when he noticed suspects making an attempt to scouse borrow his truck’s catalytic converter. Almendarez, an off-duty Harris County sheriff’s deputy, used to be shot a couple of occasions and later died at an area health center.
The 3 suspects, Fredarius Clark, Joshua Stewart, and Frederick Tardy, had been charged with Capital Murder and are looking forward to trial in the Harris County prison.
Testifying prior to the committee, a tearful Zarzora stated, “My husband gave up his life for me, not just me, for the community.”
According to nationwide automobile gross sales group CARFAX, there have been roughly 153,000 catalytic converter thefts in the U.S. in 2022. Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) famous {that a} fresh file indicated auto-related thefts have been up through 11 p.c in 2022.
Catalytic converters include treasured metals platinum, palladium, and rhodium, with the latter promoting for as prime as $10,000 consistent with ounce. As in the case of Almendarez, catalytic converter thieves might come with arranged and armed gangs.
“Catalytic converter theft is now an organized violent crime,” stated Alvarado, who together with Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) has presented Senate Bill (SB) 224 to crackdown at the thieves.
Named the Darren Almendarez Act, SB 224 accommodates components of expenses proposed through Bettencourt and Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) to make catalytic converter robbery a state prison legal. If handed, the legislation would additionally create the belief of robbery for being ownership of assets that incorporates a catalytic converter got rid of from a prior automobile, with exceptions for some companies.
Other provisions will building up consequences through categorizing catalytic converter thefts as arranged crime, and building up the extent of offense if the thief used to be in ownership of a firearm.
“This is about catalytic converter theft, and that is not a nonviolent crime, that is not a victimless crime,” stated Middleton.
“People are being killed. This is an issue that is wreaking havoc in our communities, it’s wreaking havoc in public safety. People are losing their lives.”
“The theft losses from these criminal rings amounts to over $100 million a year in my estimation,” stated Bettencourt.
The Darren Almendarez Act has already drawn 15 co-sponsors, and the Senate Criminal Justice Committee authorized passage Tuesday in a 7 to 0 vote.
During her testimony, Zarzoza advised senators she had to attend court docket about as soon as every month for hearings with the suspects charged in Almendarez’ homicide and were in court docket the day prior to.
“Before my case was heard, there was another case [of] two young kids: catalytic converter theft,” stated Zarzoza, including that the 2 suspects were stuck with catalytic converters and weapons, and even supposing they allegedly had priors, they have been launched on private recognizance bonds.
“Guess what? The judge? Slap on the wrists. That was a slap in my face,” persisted Zarzoza. “Reset the case for three weeks, let them free.”
Testifying in strengthen of the expenses, Sgt. Fred Parsons of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office stated that below present legislation he may just now not fee suspects for ownership of catalytic converters except they crossed state strains, which allowed federal government to interfere.
“We know who the cutters are, we know who the buyers are; we have no teeth, we have no way to get them unless we catch them or when they cross state lines,” stated Parsons.
In reaction to a question from Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), Parsons stated that even if they do arrest catalytic converter robbery suspects, they’re most often launched “generally the next day.”
Bail bond insurance policies have persisted to urged controversy in Harris County, with experiences that suspects charged with homicide, capital homicide, or different violent crimes are often discovered to had been out on bond for different fees.
Among the ones charged in the homicide of Almendarez, Clark were arrested in 2020 for illegal ownership of a weapon, however the fees have been brushed aside through Judge Erica Hughes for loss of possible purpose.
Referring to different regulation proposed through Huffman to support bail rules, Whitmire stated, “Huffman is addressing the convenience to them of getting out the next day on bond.”
“That’s going to come to a screeching halt,” vowed Whitmire.
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