Giovanni Matt Ornelas, 31, has been re-arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Albert Castillo, Jr., 22, and the wounding of Albert Castillo, Sr., 39, on August 8, 2021, at a residence on Newport Street. Ornelas, previously arrested and charged with murder, is now facing additional charges of bail jump for failing to appear in court.
Anastasia Marie Hernandez, 34, has been charged with hindering apprehension in connection with Ornelas’ escape. She was arrested following further investigation into her role in harboring Ornelas after he fled prior to his trial in September 2024.
A third suspect, Jose Leonel Cabrera, 30, is already in custody for an unrelated case with the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC). Cabrera faces charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the case.
According to Houston Police Department (HPD) Homicide Division Detectives L. Palma and B. Stephens, officers responded to a drive-by shooting call at 5612 Newport Street, where they found Albert Castillo, Jr. deceased from a gunshot wound and his father, Albert Castillo, Sr., with an arm injury. The senior Castillo was transported to a hospital in stable condition.
The suspect, initially described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic male with tattoos and armed with an AR-15 rifle, was last seen fleeing eastbound on Newport Drive toward the North Freeway.
Following an investigation, Ornelas was arrested by HPD SWAT on August 19, 2021. Cabrera was identified as another suspect and charged in 2023. Ornelas later fled while wearing an ankle monitor, prompting his re-arrest on January 7, 2025, by U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force.
Hernandez, Ornelas’ girlfriend, was arrested for assisting him in evading authorities.
