A Texas man made bail for stabbing his girlfriend to death, then subsequently went on a shooting spree upon his release, fatally shooting his aunt, and wounding his cousin.
Dante Thomas, 20, of Texas, was out on bail for the stabbing death of his live-in girlfriend, Linda Vu, when he was picked up on murder charges for killing his aunt, who was gunned down in the parking lot of a shopping mall, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers say Charlotte Ellis, 69, was left dead in the shooting, and her daughter, Demetra Ellis, 45, seriously wounded.
Thomas posted a $50,000 bail on January 31st after he was charged in the murder of his girlfriend, Linda Vu. He confessed to stabbing her in their home after an argument, while Vu’s two children, ages 4 and 6, were at home, according to KPRC-TV. Her body was later discovered by a roommate. She had been stabbed seven times.
He was out on bond when the second killing–a shooting–happened, this past Thursday, around 7:30 pm.
Charlotte Ellis, the deceased woman, is Thomas’ aunt; her wounded daughter, Demetra, is his cousin, and she may lose her eyesight.
According to court documents, Thomas called his mother, sobbing, saying he killed both women. She then picked him up and was en route to the police station when he jumped out of the car, she told police.
Jeff McShan, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said that he could not comment on the current case, but mentioned that it is not uncommon for Texas murder suspects with prior arrest history to be granted bail.
His neighbors, however, disagreed.
“It’s kind of crazy. He shouldn’t have been released,” said an unidentified woman. “He’s already killed somebody and then two more people, that’s crazy.”
