HOUSTON — A Houston serial killer will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, 51, killed three people and robbed two others during a weeklong crime spree in north Houston during the summer of 2018.
"Our hearts go out to all of the families of the victims and the surviving victims," Assistant District Attorney Samantha Knecht said.
Rodriguez, who was 46 at the time of the crime spree, pleaded guilty to three capital murder charges and two counts of aggravated robbery. He agreed to the punishment of five life sentences without the possibility of parole. His sentences will be served one at a time, meaning he will never leave prison. He also agreed to not appeal the convictions or the sentences.
"This was a series of horrible and violent crimes, and we were preparing to seek the death penalty," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "This plea agreement ensures that Jose Rodriguez will never again breathe free air and can never appeal these convictions or prison sentences."
Rodriguez was a convicted sex offender who was out on parole and had cut his ankle monitor off at the time of the crimes. He didn't speak during Tuesday's hearing except to acknowledge that he agreed to the plea arrangement. He also didn't provide a motive for the deadly crime spree.
The Harris County DA's Office said it was preparing to take the case to a death penalty trial in January before Rodriguez accepted the deal. If it had gone to trial, a jury would have had to convict him of capital murder and he would have faced either life in prison without parole or the death penalty. He also would have been able to appeal the conviction and the punishment.
In addition to the life sentences, Rodriguez was also fined $20,000.
The crime spree
July 9, 2018
Rodriguez robbed a man who was in his 80s and held him at gunpoint during a home invasion.
July 13, 2018
Rodriguez killed 61-year-old Pamela Johnson at her home on Bent Pine Drive and then stole her car. Johnson’s car was found at Willowbrook Mall days after she was killed. Investigators also found out that Rodriguez pawned a TV that was stolen from Johnson's home.
July 14, 2018
Rodriguez shot and killed 28-year-old Allie Barrow at the Mattress Firm store where she worked on FM 1960. Her body was found in the back office of the store around 7 p.m. by the store manager.
July 16, 2018
Rodriguez shot a 22-year-old METROLift driver in northeast Houston around 3 a.m. The driver survived.
July 16, 2018
Rodriguez shot and killed 57-year-old Eduardo Magaña at the Mattress One store where he worked along the North Freeway near Crosstimbers. Magana had just taken his lunch break.
Magaña held jobs as an ESL teacher, Uber driver and most recently at the Mattress One store as a sales representative. He had only been at the Crosstimbers location for a few weeks.
His arrest
Rodriguez was arrested on July 17, 2018, after two people called 911 to report that they had seen him.
Deputy Jorge Reyes arrested him after a 14-minute chase in northwest Houston.
"When I left my house last night for my shift, I told my wife 'I’m gonna catch him,'" Reyes said after the arrest. "Sure enough, I did."
How did he get out?
Rodriguez completed a sex offender treatment program in November 2016 while he was in prison. He was released on parole on Sept. 29, 2017.
As part of his release, Rodriguez was assigned a parole officer, whom he had to report to regularly. Terms and conditions of his release included living in a specified place approved by the parole officer. Rodriguez was released to a Dallas County halfway house due to Hurricane Harvey.
In December 2017 he was transferred to a Harris County halfway house and in March 2018 he was sent to another home.
At the time of his arrest for the crime spree, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Rodriguez had no issues since being released. He had registered as a sex offender and submitted to polygraph tests.
On July 5, 2018, the TDCJ said Rodriguez’s GPS ankle monitor was tampered with.
On July 8, 2018, it stopped transmitting. At that time a warrant was issued for his arrest.