He Was On The Run Now A Texas Man In Custody, Accused Of Killing His Ex-Girlfriend & Wounding A Toddler
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM) — The man accused of fatally shooting a young Houston mother while she held her 1-year-old son is the woman's ex-boyfriend.
The shooting happened July 1 and officials say that's the same day Zacchaeus Rashad Gaston went on the run.
Left behind was his 24-year-old former girlfriend, Layla Steele, whose body was riddled with bullets. According to the arrest warrant, the woman was already on the ground when Gaston shot her in the torso and stood over her firing four or five more shots into her body.
Steele was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and later died from her injuries.
At the time of the shooting Steele was holding their toddler son, Zeus. The boy suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg and is recovering.
Gaston, 27, had previously been freed on bond after committing felony crimes on seven separate occasions and had been ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
After allegedly shooting is ex Gaston went on the run for two weeks. An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers led to his arrest.
Gaston was in Harris County Probable Cause Court on Thursday and had to be removed after becoming agitated and making several outbursts -- including yelling, "I'm innocent until I'm proven guilty."
He made more outbursts when he went before a judge on Friday and was restrained by deputies and again removed from the court.
Gaston's bond has been set at $1,000,000 for the murder charge, and $500,000 on the aggravated assault charge for Zeus' shooting.