HARRIS COUNTY JAIL

Antonio “AJ” Armstrong, the 23-year-old who was found guilty of killing his mother and father while they slept, has been moved to a second prison in less than a week.

An officer with the Houston Police Department was arrested for driving while intoxicated Thursday, the department confirmed.

A 62-year-old man in custody at the Harris County Jail died Thursday after authorities said he suffered an apparent medical emergency.

Community members and activists are holding a news conference on Wednesday to share more information after a Harris County Jail inmate said he was bet by guards.

A mother from Liberty County said it has now been 33 days since her son vanished after being released from the Harris County Jail.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said a man has died after being found unconscious inside his cell at the Harris County Jail.

Family and friends of a special needs inmate who died in the Harris County Jail are honoring their son on Wednesday ahead of his birthday.

Several families are filing lawsuits on Monday in connection to in-custody deaths at the Harris County Jail, according to a family member of an inmate who died.

A sergeant employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing legal action against Harris County and elected officials following a sexual assault inside the jail over a year and a half ago.

An inmate from the Harris County Jail escaped during transport on Monday, officials reported.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office received a bomb threat for the Harris County Jail on Wednesday morning.

An inmate from the Harris County Jail escaped during transport on Monday, officials reported.

A detention officer was injured during an attack at the Harris County Jail on July 21, according to court records.

The Houston Police Department said two officers have been relieved of duty pending investigation by the Internal Affairs Division after being arrested for two separate incidents.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo reacted as the Harris County Jail approaches a dozen in-custody deaths.

A Harris County Jail inmate with a pre-existing medical condition died at a hospital while in jail custody on Sunday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.

A grieving mother says she won’t stop fighting for justice in her son’s murder, no matter how long it takes, but for the first time she’s hopeful.

The mother of the inmate who died over the weekend said her son had mental issues that the jail knew about, and he was being bullied after being placed in general population.

Another inmate has died at the Harris County Jail this year, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Police have filed charges on a Harris County inmate accused of killing a woman whose body was found at a construction site on Houston’s south side in 2008.

A woman has been charged after her young granddaughter was found alone at Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to the Houston Police Department.

Harris County families are asking for ‘justice’ after they said their family members died while in jail custody.

Officials say two Harris County Jail inmates died last week after being hospitalized with preexisting medical conditions.

A Baytown man is in the Harris County Jail accused of cutting the paws or legs off at least four puppies.

The family of Robert Terry also known as Rico held a balloon release after he was laid to rest on Saturday.

A man who died Tuesday after being rushed by ambulance to the hospital from the Harris County Jail, will not be labeled an “in-custody death” because the man was technically released from the jail before he died.

Attorneys and families have filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Jail and are calling for a federal investigation after six inmates have died this year.

A man accused of a Pasadena murder is now fighting for his own life while behind bars in the Harris County Jail because of liver cirrhosis, his attorney told KPRC 2.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said they are now up to six Harris County Jail inmates who have died while in custody this year. Ongoing questions are swirling even more now about how this keeps happening again, and again, and again.

Wednesday, we are asking the county’s top leader what is being done to address deaths at the Harris County Jail. The most recent death happened on Tuesday.

An inmate has been reported dead after apparently suffering from a medical emergency in the Harris County Jail earlier this month.

The Harris County Jail inmate banking system has serious problems, according to a county audit, which was reviewed by KPRC 2 Investigates.

After quickly moving through the House, a Bill that would bring forth major changes inside the Harris County Jail is one step closer to being signed by the Governor.

A Houston mother is turning her pain into purpose after her son died while in custody at the Harris County Jail in March of 2022.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Tuesday that her office will allocate over $4.7 million in American Rescue Plan funds to bring supportive programming to women housed in the Women’s Center Jail.

Harris County Commissioners Court approved funding Tuesday that will allow the sheriff’s office to offer a retention incentive for detention officers.

On Tuesday, the Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved $7.4 million to allow for improvements at the Harris County Jail.

Staffing issues, inmates spending more time in holding cells, staff not following medical orders, or seeing inmate patients in a timely matter continue to plague the Harris County Jail, according to a new state inspection report obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates.

A Houston mother is calling for changes at the Harris County jail after her son died almost a year ago at the facility.

A man sentenced to 25 years who was released from the Harris County Jail Tuesday due to an “apparent clerical error” is back in custody, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday.

A new legislation proposal hopes to address the backlog of court cases statewide by prioritizing murder and capital murder cases. If passed, the law would mandate judges to take up those cases first.

There have been complaints of overcrowding, long jail stays, and understaffing for months at the Harris County Jail on Baker Street downtown.

A man who spent one month in a coma after what he says was a severe beating at the Harris County Jail is now suing the county, claiming federal civil rights violations.

Since Jacoby Pillow’s death last month, at least three others have died at Harris County Jail. And the year before, the jail hit a record-high of 27 in-custody deaths.

The FBI has accepted Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s request to review two deaths that occurred inside the Harris County Jail, the sheriff’s office announced Monday.

Community activists with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats met with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Thursday to discuss the issues plaguing the county’s jail.

A Pearland woman claims her fiancé is not getting the proper medication he needs in the Harris County Jail to treat his high blood pressure and prevent him from going into cardiac arrest.

An attorney for the Harris County Deputies Organization, who’s familiar with Eric Morales’ case, said in custody jail deaths have nothing to do with detention officers’ training. Instead, Robin Foster said they’re the result of a systemic problem that runs much deeper.

The family of inmates who died while in custody at the Harris County Jail joined civil and human rights activists Tuesday to condemn law enforcement leadership and officials for those inmate deaths.

A former Harris County Jail detention officer was indicted Thursday and charged in connection to the death of an inmate from 2021, which is the first time charges have been filed for an in-custody death at the jail, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

A family is pushing for answers after their son died under the supervision of the Harris County Jail. It’s the fourth inmate death this year.

Houston police are investigating the death of a 23-year-old man who allegedly passed away after suffering a medical emergency in the Harris County Jail on Tuesday.

A woman who is accused of driving the wrong way on the Sam Houston Tollway, possibly intoxicated, while her 1-year-old child was in the vehicle has been arrested and charged, according to deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office.

A family has been searching for answers since their loved one mysteriously died while in custody at the Harris County Jail back in March.

Family members of 48-year-old Adael Gonzalez Garcia are seeking answers after they said officers severely injured him while in Harris County Jail.

A man accused of leading officers on a high-speed chase before causing a crash that injured three people has been arrested and charged.

A 28-year-old man has been arrested after police say he stalked and harassed a Kroger employee for multiple days.

Two men have been charged after entering inside a Houston nigh club with fire arms, according to charging documents.

An investigation is underway after an 18-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle behind Benjamin Davis High School Monday, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said.

A man has been arrested after authorities said he hit a Harris County Precinct 4 deputy twice with a metal chair.

A 17-year-old is in the Harris County Jail after Precinct 5 Deputy Constables allege he made threats to shoot up his former charter school in Katy.

A man accused of pistol-whipping and robbing a transgender woman he met on a dating app has been arrested, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Friday.

The Harris County Jail has been placed in “non-compliance” status due to its overcrowding status, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

A suspect went to great lengths to break into a family’s home, then lock himself inside a bedroom with their sleeping teenage daughter, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

Jose Luis Navarrete, 26, was booked into the Harris County Jail and charged with burglary of a habitation.

A Harris County Jail inmate has tested positive for monkeypox, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Thursday.

Authorities have charged two teenagers who they believe were involved in the shooting of another teen back in May.

A man was arrested and charged after deputies say he was caught masturbating outside a gas station in Spring Tuesday afternoon.

A man was placed being bars Monday after a fiery exchange led to an assault at a Spring-area fast food restaurant, according to Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman’s Office.

A Texas woman suspected in the fatal shooting of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson at an Austin home was arrested in Costa Rica and transported back to the United States on Saturday, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

An investigation is underway after an inmate was found dead in his single cell at the Harris County Jail, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

A man was arrested Monday after being accused of driving while intoxicated in Tomball, according to deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office.

Effective Tuesday, in-person visitations at the Harris County Jail will be suspended until further notice to minimize the potential spread of Covid-19.

The document reads like a scene from a prison movie, yet what many perceive to remain in the fictional world, happened right at the Harris County Sheriff's Office Jail in downtown Houston. According to documents obtained by KPRC 2, a lone inmate was brutally attacked by eight other inmates while a guard with advance notice of the plan, not only allowed, but approved it to happen.

In a little more than a month after a 19-year-old inmate with special needs was beaten to death at the Harris County Jail, a sergeant at the facility was sexually assaulted by an inmate, authorities confirm. What makes the attack even more concerning for some is that a Houston attorney representing the family of the beaten inmate warned that another attack was imminent at the understaffed 1200 Baker Street facility.

A Harris County inmate who was involved in a physical altercation that led to the death of his 19-year-old cellmate has been charged with murder, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said.

Civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen and the family of a 19-year-old man with special needs who was recently killed in the Harris County Jail cried out for justice Wednesday at a press conference held on the steps of the facility.

A Harris County Jail inmate died Sunday at Ben Taub Hospital after being involved in a physical altercation with another inmate late Friday evening, the sheriff’s office said Monday.

Approximately $4,000 worth of stolen lumber was found inside a vehicle during a traffic stop Saturday in Humble, according to Constable Mark Herman’s Office.

A woman has been charged after being accused of repeatedly slamming her vehicle into the back of an Uber driver’s vehicle during a road rage incident, according to the Houston Police Department.

A McDonald’s employee was arrested after being accused of setting up an armed robbery Tuesday in Spring, according to deputies with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

A man was arrested after he was found driving a stolen vehicle where constables seized narcotics and several stolen credit cards in northwest Harris County, according to Constable Mark Herman’s Special Operations Unit.

Two women have been identified and charged in connection with a shooting at a nail salon in which an employee was shot last Saturday.

During a Friday media briefing, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez discussed the findings of an Internal Affairs investigation into the Feb. 17 death of Jaquaree Simmons inside the Harris County Jail. Gonzalez announced 11 HCSO employees were fired and six others were suspended in connection with Simmons’ death.

Charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the fatal shooting of a man during a May home invasion, and KPRC 2 has learned that one of the suspects -- Qiriathiam Phillips -- was out on eight felony bonds at the time of the victim’s murder.

HOUSTON – Daniel Canada has been sitting in the Harris County Jail since about noon Monday, accused of killing a mother and three children. The victim’s family say the allegations are hard for them as they try to cope with their loses. For House-El, it’s hard to come to terms with knowing three of her grand-nephews were killed in a suspected drunk driving crash. What did she, my niece Porscha, go through when trying to get out with an infant, a 7-month-old and the other children in the car?” House-El asked. “That’s all you can do is say, ‘Hey, I love you, and time will have to cure it.’ Keep praying, and keep showing the love,” House-El said.

The deaths of Chaney and Caitlynne Infinger Guajardo have both been blamed on failures in the complex bail system. “We’re going to separate the Damon Allen Act and what I’m expecting from bail reform there,” Abbott told The Texas Tribune. If a defendant’s bail is set at $10,000, for example, a payment of $1,000 to a bonds company can get them out of jail. Bail reform advocates for years have fought the cash bail system, and multiple federal courts have ordered several Texas counties to change their pretrial practices. Federal courts have ruled that a mechanical use of preset cash bail amounts without individual consideration is unconstitutional.

HOUSTON – The man charged with killing a Houston police sergeant was booked into jail -- wearing that sergeant’s own handcuffs. The Houston Police Officer’s Union tweeted Monday afternoon that Manzano was booked into Harris County Jail while wearing Sgt. He is accused of shooting and killed HPD Sgt. Preston will take place Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Texas Southern University, Granville Sawyer Auditorium, 3100 Cleburne Street. Due to COVID-19 protocols, HPD is asking that the funeral service be reserved for family, friends, HPD staff and those who knew Sgt.

HOUSTON – An inmate at the Harris County Jail was found unresponsive in his cell over the weekend, officials said. Court records show the robbery charge was dismissed and then refiled as the burglary charge. The burglary charge was dismissed following Jacobs’ death. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Texas Rangers to investigate Jacobs’ death. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet determined a cause of death.

HOUSTON – Funeral details for Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Scholwinski, 70, fought a “courageous battle against the COVID-19 virus," officials wrote in the release. Scholwinski consistently served the resident of Harris County with honor, charm and distinction. He will be missed by his many friends and colleagues, all of whom were positively influenced by his commitment to service,” officials wrote in a release Wednesday. There were also 402 Harris County Sheriff’s deputies, detention officers and support staff under quarantine.

HOUSTON – The Harris County Jail is now one of the country’s COVID-19 hotspots, with hundreds of current cases involving inmates and employees. As of Tuesday, April 27, there were 7,455 detainees in the jail, and 302 of them have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, 180 Harris County Sheriff’s Office employees who work at the jail have tested positive. For comparison’s sake, we looked at a similar-sized facility, the Cook County Jail in Chicago, which is also dealing with hundreds of cases. One person who knows exactly what’s going on inside the Harris County Jail is Sgt.

HOUSTON – An inmate released under a short-lived order by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus in Harris County Jail, was arrested Tuesday and faces new charges. According to the Harris County Justice Administration Department (JAD), 12 men were released under Hidalgo’s order before it was blocked by a felony court judge. “There is no issue more politicized than whether or not inmates, who constitute a potential danger to Harris county citizens and Texans, ought to be released from confinement,” said Wice. “It wouldn’t have met the jail standards for even the level of minimum security jail,” said Hidalgo. We’d have to arrest everybody in Harris County to make sure nobody is going to get in any sort of trouble,” said Hidalgo.

HOUSTON – To reduce the threat of a coronavirus outbreak in Harris County Jail, a judge has ordered some nonviolent felony defendants to be released on personal recognizance bond to relieve overcrowding. On Saturday, Harris County Administrative Judge Herb Ritchie issued a general order bond, requiring the immediate release of any defendants booked into the jail on any of the 18 nonviolent state jail felonies who are not already on probation or facing other charges. In issuing the order, Harris County is following the lead of other counties and municipalities from California to Maine that are taking aggressive steps to reduce jail populations. “That is very much an issue that we continue to work on, to continue to find what solutions there may be,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. President Joe Gamaldi contending that while the defendants may be nonviolent, some are career criminals who shouldn’t be released without posting a cash bond.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez addressed Thursday a rumor circulating of a planned mass release of inmates at the county jail. However, the Harris County Sheriff's Office does report that the inmate population is smaller since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. daily jail population was around 9,100. The Harris County Jail is monitoring the temperatures of inmates. Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen has outfitted his deputies with protective gear and insists that prisoners in patrol cars be transported with masks on.

Christopher Melder, the man accused of spilling mercury in four separate locations in west Houston and Spring, spoke to KPRC 2 exclusively from the Harris County Jail. Melder said he found the mercury at an abandoned lab. Melder claims he then took the mercury home, looked it up on YouTube and even played with it in his own hands. “I didn’t go far in school and didn’t know it was bad,” he said, adding that he wasn’t trying to harm anybody. For more on the spills and what people can do if they may have been exposed to mercury, go to our previous KPRC 2 report.