HOUSTON – The mother of a young father killed in a Houston road rage shooting is speaking out after Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new task force targeting repeat violent offenders.
KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner spoke with Jadrian’s mother, Patrice Edwards Blake.
Blake says she has little faith the new task force will make a difference. She’s questioning how it will work, which communities it will target, and whether it will bring real accountability.
“These past 11 months have been extremely painful,” Blake said. “How many other families have been affected? They said 55% [of offenders] have gone out and been repeat violent offenders. That offends me as a mother to have to bury my child.”
Blake believes the system has already failed families like hers and is skeptical about adding more agencies to the mix.
“What have they done throughout the time, my history of even being in Houston? They really haven’t accomplished much in the first place,” she said. “So when you speak of a task force, what communities are you going in? Because when you say you’re targeting certain people, normally that never comes out right.”
During the governor’s announcement, Ray Hunt with the Houston Police Officers’ Union specifically pointed to Edwards’ case.
“There was a repeat offender almost a year ago in November — his name was Carlos Chavez — who committed road-rage murder on the freeway in Houston, killing a man and injuring a small child with a pistol. He was out on multiple felony bonds,” Hunt said.
Court records show Chavez was previously out on bond for another 2023 road rage shooting that injured a driver. Over the last decade, he has faced multiple violent and weapons-related charges, including convictions for robbery and gun possession.
Blake says judges and the bail bond system must also be held accountable.
“If you’re a danger to the community, why would I let you out?” she said. “You should not be in the public. The public should always be into consideration. That is already a law. We shouldn’t be trying to put things in place that already exist. We’re fighting a battle that’s already been won.”
It remains unclear which areas Abbott’s task force will prioritize. But crime data shows overall violent crime in Houston is down 17% this year. In District F, where Jadrian was killed, violent crime is down 10% compared to last year — with murders and aggravated assaults dropping, while thefts are up 37% and car break-ins have slightly increased.
For Blake, the numbers don’t change her mission. She says she doesn’t want Chavez back on the streets. He remains jailed on a $1 million bond, with his next court appearance set for October 21.