Bond set at $1 million for man charged in deadly carjacking in east Houston
Bond granted to man charged with deadly carjacking in east Houston
Marcus Brock was arrested and charged with carjacking and then dragging a woman to death and has now been granted bond.
HOUSTON - The man arrested and charged with carjacking and then dragging a woman to death in east Houston has been granted bond Thursday.
Jessica Garza-Godinez was carjacked in broad daylight in front of her daughter as she simply waited outside a church on Uvalde to pick up her 19-year-old daughter from work and she ended up dragged to her death because she was caught up in the seat belt as the carjacker sped away.
MORE: Authorities identify suspect following deadly carjacking in East Houston
Now the man accused of the horrific crimes could once again walk free if he comes up with the bond money.
"There’s no amount of money out there that’s going to insure that if this person gets out that he’s not going to harm or kill another random member of our community," said the head of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes unit Sean Teare. "Just, no regard for human life. No regard for anyone else’s right to live freely and without this kind of terror around you. When you’re able to identify these types of people you’ve got to take them out of the population."
Investigators say 55-year-old Marcus Brock is not only caught on surveillance video committing more crimes right after they say he carjacked and killed Mrs. Godinez.
"He’s on surveillance video walking away from the crash, just walking away and he went into another store and tried to hold a number of victims there hostage," Teare explains.
Bond set at $1 million for man charged in deadly carjacking in east Houston
41-year-old Jessica Garza was in a church parking lot, waiting to pick up her daughter Tuesday in east Houston. When police say 55-year-old Marcus Brock, jumped into her vehicle after stealing a cell phone from a nearby store.
He says Brock is also on video speeding 60 miles an hour down Uvalde Road with Mrs. Garza-Godinez’s legs hanging out of her vehicle as Teare says Brock assaults her but she can’t escape because she’s entangled in her seat belt.
"During the over half mile that he was driving before he eventually crashed this car he was actively kicking and trying to force this woman out of the car," he said.
According to video and witnesses, Brock is the man who first went inside a store stealing cell phones, then to get away investigators say he carjacked Garza-Godinez from the church education center carpool line, slamming into a vehicle in the carpool line, then began dragging Mrs. Garza-Godinez down the road until she died. Even so, a magistrate granted Brock a $1,000,000 bond.
RELATED: Authorities identify woman run over during purse-snatching in east Harris County
Although, Brock’s charge and criminal history would allow for no-bond.
"He is charged with capital murder. It is the highest charge in the state of Texas," Teare explained. It carries a potential punishment of the death penalty. Additionally, this is what we call a habitual offender. He has been in and out of prison since the late 80’s numerous times."
Prosecutors will be asking a judge tomorrow to take away the bond that was granted.
Woman killed during carjacking in East Houston
FOX 26 Reporter Tiffany Justice has the very latest after a woman died during a carjacking in East Houston on Tuesday afternoon.
As violent crimes continue to rise Teare is reminding us of a few tips to stay safe including keeping your car doors locked until the person you’re picking up is about to get in.
"There are a lot of safety tips that all fall back to one thing and that's be aware of your surroundings," Teare said. "We see time and time again these individuals preying on people coming from malls or from banks or anything like that and tragically sitting in car pool lines. Keep your doors locked and be aware of your surroundings at all times."
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Teare also reminds us don’t get too comfortable and stop being cautious just because you’re in a familiar or seemingly safe area.
"In a case like this the sheer randomness of the way that woman’s life was snatched away from her," he concluded. "The violence that was involved. He snatched a life away, one that had no business being snatched. She was doing absolutely nothing wrong."