Walter Pozos was accused in a 2023 chase crash that killed his passenger and injured a woman inside her home.
HOUSTON, TX — A Harris County murder defendant accused of causing a deadly crash while fleeing deputies disappeared days before his retrial after authorities say he removed a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor and failed to appear in court.
Court records show Walter Pozos, 32, was scheduled to begin a second murder trial last Wednesday in the death of Hector Castilleja Correa. The case had already reached one jury, but a mistrial was declared in February after jurors could not agree on a verdict. Pozos had remained out of jail on bond while awaiting the new trial, according to records.
Records state Pozos removed the GPS monitor on May 11, two days before the trial was set to begin. Harris County pretrial services received a tamper alert and left him a voicemail telling him to report for an inspection. Authorities said he did not respond. His bond has since been revoked, and he now faces multiple warrants. The disappearance shifted the case from a pending retrial to a fugitive search involving law enforcement agencies trying to locate him and return him to court.
The murder charge stems from a July 2023 crash in north Harris County. Deputies said they tried to stop a driver racing along Sam Houston Parkway at about 11 p.m. The chase lasted about 10 minutes and stretched for 12 miles before the vehicle lost control on Foy Lane, near Hopper Road, and crashed into a mobile home. Investigators later said Pozos was intoxicated and driving more than 100 mph during the chase. Other reports from the case said speeds topped 120 mph before the vehicle went airborne and struck the home.
Castilleja Correa, a passenger in the vehicle, was killed. Maria Garcia, who lived in the mobile home, was injured when debris from the impact struck her in the head. Garcia said she still suffers from headaches. Three people inside the car were taken to the hospital after the crash, and Garcia was also transported for treatment. Video from the scene showed crews working to remove the vehicle from the damaged home. Authorities have not said where Pozos went after the monitor alert or whether anyone helped him leave Harris County.
The case has drawn more attention because it is the second reported incident this month in which a Harris County murder defendant allegedly removed an ankle monitor and fled before trial. Lee Gilley, who is accused of killing his pregnant wife, Christa Gilley, was captured in Italy after authorities said he left the country using fake identification. Court records in that case said Gilley traveled through Canada before arriving in Milan, where Italian authorities detained him. His case led to questions about how quickly judges and law enforcement are notified when a defendant on GPS monitoring stops complying with court orders.
Harris County officials have faced renewed pressure over the county’s electronic monitoring system. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a former sheriff, said he planned to bring forward changes aimed at strengthening supervision for violent offenders on ankle monitors. He did not release full details of the plan, but his office said the issue was expected to come up during summer budget talks. Pretrial services officials previously said they were working to refine protocols so courts could be alerted more quickly when a monitoring device is tampered with.
Crime Stoppers Director Andy Kahan questioned the bond amount in the Pozos case, which was reported as $25,000 on the murder charge and $35,000 total across charges. “When I first saw it, I thought it was a typo,” Kahan said. He said ankle monitors can help track defendants who follow court orders but do not physically prevent someone from cutting off or disabling the device. Officials have said a 2023 Texas law created a separate criminal offense for knowingly removing or disabling an electronic monitoring device.
Garcia and her husband said they do not understand how Pozos could disappear while under electronic monitoring. They said they want him found and brought back to court to answer for Castilleja Correa’s death. Prosecutors and investigators have not announced a new trial date because Pozos remains wanted. The next step in the case depends on his arrest and his return to Harris County custody.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, May 24, 2026.