HOUSTON – A teen married couple has been arrested after allegedly being caught with a loaded semi-automatic rifle on the campus of César E. Chavez High School, which is part of the Houston Independent School District.
Ralphael Ortega, 19, and Valerie Rodriguez, 18, were both charged with carrying a prohibited weapon in a prohibited place; a third-degree felony.
Their charges were read aloud in probable cause court on April 29. The magistrate judge read details of the accusations against the two.
Ortega, who is a former student of the school, went to the campus to visit Rodriguez, who is currently enrolled and in the 11th grade.
Surveillance video shows the two going to the library, and Ortega exiting the library for a moment, leaving Rodriguez with the backpack.
When it was noticed that Ortega was on the grounds without permission, the couple was escorted to the principal’s office.
There, police asked to check the backpack, but the two tried to protest, at first.
Eventually, they allegedly admitted that the gun was inside the bag. The weapon was reportedly loaded with at least 16 rounds of ammunition.
During the hearing, it was said that the two were homeless and had been “moving around” together for the last seven years and were now married. The judge asked if their union was legal or common law.
“Yes, your honor, we have a marriage license that was signed,” Ortega said.
The judge let out an audible sigh, then continued reading the accusations.
The judge noted, for the record, that neither Ortega nor Rodriguez had any holds in place, nor any past criminal history, but due to the danger they posed, the bond was set at a high amount.
“I believe the nature of the offense requires a high bond to ensure the safety of the community. Given that the location is a high school with several hundreds of students present at the time because this alleged offense occurred during school hours,” the magistrate said.
Rodriguez’s bond was set at $50,000, and later raised to $200,000. Ortega’s bond was set at $75,000.
Bond conditions were outlined, which included:
- Do not go within 200 feet of Chavez High School.
- Submit random urine samples for drug and alcohol testing.
- Do not use, possess or consume marijuana, controlled substances or alcohol.
- Do not use or possess a firearm or deadly weapons, including knives or ammunition.
- Observe a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days per week.
- Obtain a GPS monitoring device.