HOUSTON – The suspected drunken driver accused of fatally striking a sergeant from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office violated conditions of her bond after traces of alcohol were reported in her system, court documents and sources with direct knowledge of the case confirmed Thursday to KPRC2.
Lavillia Spry, 40, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, failure to stop and render aid, and evading arrest.
Prosecutors alleged Spry was under the influence when she struck 45-year-old Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez on the East Sam Houston Parkway N. at Tidwell on Jan. 24.
While a judge approved a $150,000 bond for Spry on Jan. 25, it was later revoked in July and reset for $300,000.
Among several conditions, as documented in a bond agreement, Spry was ordered not to “go within 50 feet of any bar, nightclub, or establishment where alcoholic beverages are primarily sold.” That same document ordered Spry to obtain a SCRAM device, which would detect traces of alcohol in her system.
Multiple sources confirmed Spry violated her second bond in September after the SCRAM device detected alcohol again.
A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 13 to discuss the most recent alleged violation.
Sgt. Gutierrez, a 20-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, was a husband and father of three children.
This morning we are grieving the loss of @HCSOTexas Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez who was fatally struck by a motorist while conducting a motorcycle escort. He served the last 13yrs in our Vehicular Crimes Division (VCD). Please keep his family & friends in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/ShgIb7vbFZ
— Chief Mike Lee (@HCSO_LECommand) January 24, 2022
“My husband was a kind soul,” said Lupita Gutierrez, Sgt. Gutierrez’s wife. Lupita said the pair met in high school, graduating from Channelview High School in 1998. “We were high school sweethearts.”
Lupita expressed hurt over Spry’s alleged bond violations, calling for more people in the greater Houston area to speak out against alcohol abuse.
“We’ll never get to hear his voice. He’ll never get to surprise us again. And he’ll never get to wear that uniform,” Lupita said. “I think the entire community is hurting.”
Lupita said she shared her family’s story in hopes of being a voice for other families who share her pain. She said she considered that her responsibility while helping her family heal from such a tragic loss.
“There is so much that we can do by spreading awareness, and I think if people can see, maybe they can change their ways,” she said.
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