One of four Texas teens accused of violently escaping a local jail was reportedly on parole for murder when he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor and robbed a store earlier this month.
The incident unfolded just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 11, when Edmound Guillory, 19; Desean Dillard, 17; Devontae Simon, 18; and Clayton Johnson, 17, were arrested after allegedly robbing a Sugar Land CVS, according to taken back into custody at around 6:20 p.m. – less than two hours after the alleged attack. The four suspects are now facing additional charges ranging from escape to attempted murder, the Sugar Land Police Department said Harris County prosecutors reportedly said they warned the court that Guillory was dangerous and had previously tried to keep him in custody after a previous conviction.
"In real time, we thought this young person was a threat to the community," John Jordan, executive bureau chief with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, told ABC 13. "And it seems like, based on his recent criminal behavior, we were right."
Court records obtained by the outlet indicate that Guillory was "found delinquent" in the fatal shooting of 59-year-old Anthony Merchant, a father and husband who worked as a car salesman.
The homicide reportedly occurred in southeast Houston in June 2022, with police adding that then-15-year-old Guillory was one of the shooters.
In 2024, Guillory was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in prison by a juvenile judge in Harris County. However, upon reevaluation by the court ahead of Guillory turning 19 years old, he was released on parole after serving just a fraction of his sentence.
"There are consequences when you give a chance to someone who is a violent offender," Jordan reportedly said.
While judges are prohibited from commenting on cases in Texas, Juvenile Division Chief at the Harris County Public Defender's Office Steven Halpert reportedly weighed in on the sensitivity surrounding sentencing juvenile offenders.
"We don't want judges who automatically transfer kids, and we don't want judges who automatically release a child," Halpert said, according to ABC 13. "You want judges who will listen to all the facts. They are experienced and make an intelligent decision. But they're not clairvoyant, and they can't predict what a child is going to do."
Following his release, Guillory was reportedly ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor, which he received in August 2025.
However, three days before allegedly robbing the CVS, records indicate Guillory cut off the tracking device and threw it into the bushes outside his home, ABC 13 reported.
"There are other victims now, [and] that didn't have to be that way," Jordan reportedly said, adding that while certain diversion programs may work for most juveniles, cases involving violent offenders require a more serious response.
"This is a poster child of why we do what we do," Jordan said. "We divert and give second chances to the worthy ones. The ones we're afraid of, that can hurt us, frankly, sadly, they need to be incarcerated."
Guillory is charged with multiple felonies in Fort Bend County, including engaging in an organized criminal act, escape causing serious bodily injury with threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, violating parole and three counts of aggravated robbery, according to jail records obtained by Fox News Digital.
He has reportedly been denied bond.
Guillory's attorney, along with the Harris County and Fort Bend County Prosecutor's Offices, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.