HOUSTON — The family of a car mechanic killed just before Christmas is frustrated that one of the suspects charged in his death is out on bond.
Jody Duron walked out of the Harris County Jail on Friday after a judge lowered his bond. He's one of three men charged in Luis Casillas' death.
Casillas' family said Duron has been harassing them.
"It's a slap in the face to me and to anyone in this situation," said Luis Casillas' sister, Sandy Casillas.
She said she's disgusted that Duron was let out on bond.
Luis Casillas was a 29-year-old car mechanic who investigators said was killed over an unpaid car bill two days before Christmas.
"I know that everybody knows now, he was very loved," Sandy Casillas said.
Duron, along with Raudel and Rolando Orozco, were arrested in connection to his death.
Sandy Casillas said Duron had sent a message to her before he was arrested that said, "How's that GoFundMe money doing you?" The message was followed by a series of laughing emojis and a clown face.
“Someone who thought he has the right to take someone’s life and still mock the family about that – you don’t deserve no bond, you don’t deserve no pitying," Sandy Casillas said.
Originally, all three suspects had bonds set at $750,000.
However, Rolando Orozco and Jody Duron's bonds were lowered to $300,000, despite court records mentioning Duron's harassing message and Rolando Orozco not completing the terms of his probation in a separate evading arrest case.
"I don't want the pain that we are going through," Sandy Casillas said. "I don't wish this pain on nobody. And they are all a danger to the community around us."
KHOU 11's Grace White asked the Harris County District Attorney's Office about what's being done to protect the Casillas family. They said they've asked for Duron to be placed under house arrest, wear an ankle monitor, surrender his passport and to have no contact with the victim's family.
A judge granted all those conditions. Duron is expected back in court in July.