Transitional home for former inmates raises concerns

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A facility that helps women recently released from prison is under debate, as the location of Angela House is being considered.

The archdiocese is considering moving the home from its current location in north Houston to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on the southeast side, and not everyone is on board with that idea.

Delfina Echavarria is raising her four daughters across the street from to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, but now, she's worried.

She said, "I'm just scared of the unknown, what it will bring to the area, to the neighborhood."

She's upset because the archdiocese is planning to move a transitional women's home to the Mount Carmel campus. Angela House is currently on the city's north side, where it houses 10 to 15 women recently released from prison. Sister Maureen O'Connell is the program's founder.

"This is important work," she said. "Women who choose to make a change in their lives need all the support they can get."

Supporters point out all the women who would live at the home have been thoroughly screened before they can participate in the program, but the residents nearby say this is simply not what they want.

June Adams, a concerned neighbor, told the Houston City Council, "We support sisters' ministries, but our primary concerns are for the safety of the children and the many elderly people who live in that neighborhood."

Both sides took their concerns to city hall this week. Council member James Rodriguez supports the neighbors, but admits there may be no legal way to stop the project.

"Hopefully they'll be good neighbors, but I still oppose this facility," Rodriguez said. "There's no city money. This is not a city project. This is brought to us by the archdiocese."

Frustrated neighbors say they vow to return to city hall or protest anywhere else they can. Late Wednesday afternoon the archdiocese released a statement that said the cardinal supports Angela House, its mission and its move to Mount Carmel.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Katy woman accused of sending marijuana to jail inmates

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Katy woman is accused of sending marijuana to jail inmates, hidden inside letters.

Back in June, a detention officer at the Harris County Jail noticed bulges in handwritten letters to a couple of inmates. The handwriting on the letters appeared to be similar, even though they were sent from different names

According to court documents, at least one letter was found to have marijuana in it, and fingerprints from the letter reportedly matched Rachel Elizabeth Hankins.

Hankins, 20, is charged with a felony -- prohibited substance in correctional facility.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Walker Co. inmate's escape caught on tape

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We're getting an inside look at just how a jail inmate managed to escape and the role another inmate may have played in the escape.

Three camera angles captured the June 28 escape. Investigators believe it was all planned and it started with Trent Archie and another inmate, Davis McLeskey, on the phone. For more than 20 minutes, they kept their heads down. McLeskey, they now say, wasn't even talking to anyone. "I'm coming to get you," a jailer is heard saying on the video. Then when a male jailer opens the door, the two inmates rush into the booking office. They punch, kick and push a total of three jailers, including two women. Archie manages to slip through to freedom. But after a struggle, McLeskey's shirt is gone and his hands back in cuffs. "I'm not getting a fair trial in this court," Archie told us when he was captured three days later. Archie was arrested at a Sharpstown-area home in the early morning hours of July 1. Since then, his mother has been arrested, as well as his girlfriend, Latoya Wright, and another woman. All are accused of helping him. Walker County Sheriff Clint McCrae believes the video shows no policy violations, but admits the age of his jail makes them vulnerable. "We are fortunate to pass inspection every year, but we're grandfathered. There needs to be some other security measures in place and all that right now is actually being analyzed," McCrae said. So is the video, to prevent future escapes. Archie was in jail on a drug charge but also awaiting word on an appeal in a murder case. The Walker County Sheriff's Office says he lost that appeal. He is now in prison serving a 40-year sentence. McLeskey was in jail for burglary and stealing a car. He now faces new charges related to the escape attempt. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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