Robert Solis, accused of killing Harris County Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, has had lots of issues with the law in his past, including various arrests for assault with bodily injury, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, and more.
Some of those charges were dismissed and did not lead to any convictions, but the man was also charged with crimes that did stick — including aggravated kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, and more.
He had reportedly been released from prison on parole around five years ago.
His crimes did not stop then though, as he was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence, although his parole board decided that he should stay free and not return to prison.
The 47-year-old has also been accused of assault by a former girlfriend. All in all, it does not look like Solis was an upstanding member of society in the slightest, and these revelations have put his recent actions in an even more negative light for some.
Melissa Purtee, a mother, who has three sons with Solis, said that the family was forced to move to Europe because of his behavior.
He reportedly beat her when she was pregnant. Purtee said that Solis was diagnosed with schizophrenia while serving a 12-year prison sentence.
She told the Houston Chronicle: “I knew something bad was going to happen — I can always feel it. But not this. We have been victims of his crimes for years. It’s been a big battle. I’ve (warned) parole officers, and no one listened. We are finally safe now.”
Purtee continued with: “When he got out of prison, he was gaunt and evil. It’s sad how his life turned out. If he would have gotten medical attention, he would not have done this.”
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who helped Dhaliwal in his career, had this reaction: “This is a truly tragic, tragic day. Death in such a horrific manner should never come to anyone. But it should never visit someone like Sandeep. This guy had a heart of gold.”
Many seem convinced that he is guilty at this point, but it will take some time for the legal system to convict him fully.
It is also not known what kind of sentence he is looking at right now, but most online commenters have suggested that someone with a past like his should definitely not be allowed back into society after all he had done.
And it looks like these statements are met with strong agreement from multiple sides so far, from what it is worth — although they would, of course, have no impact on the court’s final decision.
