Man accused in Houston airman's murder cut off GPS device, flees days before trial, prosecutors say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who was supposed to stand trial Tuesday for the murder of an airman from Houston cut off his monitoring device and fled, prosecutors said.

Giovanni Ornelas, 34, was out of jail on bond for the 2021 shooting death of Albert Castillo Jr., who was home on leave from his U.S. Air Force base in Nebraska.

Jury selection was set to start Tuesday. Instead, Ornelas took off, prosecutor Steven Belt said.

"So hard to say what was in his mind, but I think reality caught up with him, and the evidence was so strong against him that justice was going to happen to him today," Belt told ABC13.

Castillo's family has been waiting for three long years.

"We're supposed to be getting justice. Now, we have to push it further," Cynthia Ortiz, the victim's aunt, said.

According to Belt, the state was notified Monday that Ornelas' GPS device had been turned off and that records showed it was last active near the bus station downtown on Friday. It has not been found, and neither has Ornelas, who has family in Mexico. A warrant has been issued for Ornelas' arrest.

"Most likely, he's gone," Belt added.

Investigators believe Ornelas and co-defendant Jose Leonel Cabrera were targeting Castillo's father over a previous minor altercation when Ornelas opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle in a drive-by shooting outside the father's house, police said. Castillo Jr. was killed. His father, Albert Castillo Sr., was also shot and survived.

The search is on now for Ornelas. Authorities are on alert both in Houston and at the border. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact local law enforcement.

In the meantime, the victim's family will continue their wait for justice.

"I know it will catch up to him (Ornelas). I have faith that God's going to see us through and that we're going to get what he deserves, what Junior deserves," Ortiz said.

Cabrera remains in jail awaiting trial.

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