Capital murder suspect on bond for years skips sentencing

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An admitted murderer out on bond for years is at large and wanted by officials after skipping out on his sentencing and taking off his GPS monitor.

Elvio Mancebo, 24, repeatedly violated his bond, and it took prosecutors six years to try him.

In 2017, officials said the then-19-year-old was involved in a robbery where he shot and killed two people in a vacant apartment. He was charged with capital murder.

On Friday, his attorney said he agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree murder and accept a 50-year sentence behind bars.

According to his attorney Sam Cammack, Mancebo asked the judge presiding over the emergency relief docket to give him the weekend to say bye to his family.

The judge signed off, and when Monday came around, Mancebo was a no-show to his sentencing. A warrant was issued for his arrest, according to court documents.

Mancebo has been out on bond for years. In 2019, he posted his bond set at $325,000.

According to records, Mancebo violated his bond conditions four times throughout the years for failure to comply with his curfew and then tested positive for drugs. He also was charged with assaulting a family member while out on bond, which was later dismissed.

At one point, the Harris County District Attorney's Office filed a motion to take away his bond. However, a spokesperson said prosecutors could not prove he violated those bond conditions because they were unable to fly a witness, and a urine sample was lost.

In the 179th District Court, Judge Ana Martinez then raised his bond to $750,000. Mancebo, though, still posted the bond and remained on the streets.

Murray Newman, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, looked into the case.

"If this person is a capital murder suspect and violated his bond repeatedly if they aren't getting their bond revoked, who is?" ABC13's Brooke Taylor asked.

"The most frequent no-brainer is if they picked up a new criminal offense, and that is the case here," Newman responded. "A lot of the times when they test positive for marijuana and are late with curfew, judges may yell at them, but they don't see it as worthy of pulling their bond."

ABC13 asked the district attorney's office why it took six years to prosecute this case. It blamed factors such as Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson also claimed they have been ready to go to trial, but the defense was not.

"Their job is to prosecute people. At the end of the day, it took six years. What's your response to the district attorney's office?" Taylor asked.

"I think for a long time, the DA's office has been hurting with management and they have been losing a lot of their prosecutors, who are seniors and experienced," Newman said. "Most people you see trying capital murder cases now, with few exceptions, are trying their very first one."

A handwritten note on the plea agreement said Mancebo's sentencing would increase to 60 years if he didn't show up to his sentencing.

"Courts that allow sentencing dates are taking a leap of faith that the person is going to show up," Newman added.

His attorney said he is embarrassed by his client's actions and he got what he deserves, adding it is disrespectful to the entire justice system.

ABC13 reached out to Judge Martinez, who did not get back, but under state law, judges are unable to comment on pending cases.

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