Suspect charged in 3 murders

JOSE GILBERTO RODRIGUEZ
JOSE GILBERTO RODRIGUEZ

Harris County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested and charged a 46 year old parolee, Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, with a crime spree that included a home invasion, aggravated robbery, and three murders.

The murders include a woman, Pamela Johnson, found dead on July 9 in her Cypress home, and employees of two mattress stores in the North Houston area July 14 and July 16. All the victims were killed with a gunshot in a similar manner.

Rodriguez is being held in the Harris County jail without bond. He was caught by deputies after a brief chase in the Cypress area. He had earlier been identified in surveillance video in a store, after the first murder. He was known to be driving the woman’s PT Cruiser at first, and later a grey Nissan of the store manager.

The later murders took place at a Mattress Firm store in Northwest Houston, and a Mattress One store in Northline Commons.

The robbery and shooting of a METRO driver on the Eastex Freeway July 16 may also be linked.