Family of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez in Houston faces man accused of killing her on Valentine’s Day 2022

HOUSTON – Arlene Alvarez’s family confronted the man accused of murdering the 9-year-old on Valentine’s Day two years ago. In court Monday, they also listened to her lawyer talk about the emotional exhaustion and PTSD she says Tony Earls suffers from.

“They mourn their two years, they say that their lives have changed. My life has changed again. They have each other. I don’t have a daughter,” Wendy Alvarez said after Monday’s hearing, in which a judge reduced Earls’ bail from $100,000 to $75,000 for the murder charge and 40 $000 to $15,000 for the aggravated assault charge.

His family can’t afford his bail, his lawyer says, because Earls can’t work while he’s in jail.

“It was a very draining situation, emotionally, for him. He suffers from PTSD because of everything that happened,” his lawyer Ana Paula Funes-Baker said Monday. “It hasn’t been easy for him. I mean, I understand it’s been traumatic for everyone involved. As I’ve said many times, it’s a tragedy. No one intended for this little girl to die. He feels this. what happened. He never intended for this to happen. I mean it has taken a toll on him and his family over the last two years.

The murder of Arlene Alvarez and the arrest, then release, then re-arrest of Tony Earls was a roller coaster affair.

What happened

On Valentine’s Day 2022, Tony Earls was at Chase Bank, at the intersection of Winkler and Woodridge in southeast Houston, when a gunman robbed him around 9:30 p.m.

Earls had a handgun and opened fire on the robber, he said, who was running from him.

At the same time, the Alvarez family was driving past the bank in their pickup truck. One of those bullets hit Arlene in the head.

Five months later, a grand jury exonerated Earls, deciding not to indict him.

Then the Alvarez family, led by Arlene’s aunt April Aguirre, went on a mission to conduct their own investigation and brought new evidence to District Attorney Kim Ogg, who called on Special Prosecutor Warren Diepraam to reintroduce the case before a second grand jury.

Last month, that committee indicted Earls for murder and aggravated assault.

Earls was arrested a second time and has been in prison ever since.

Fast forward to June 3, 2024

“And for people who think Tony Earls is a victim, he intentionally shot at our vehicle and continually reaimed his gun until he ran out of bullets. This was not a bullet intended for a robbery suspect that accidentally hit our vehicle. He intentionally, deliberately targeted our vehicle. and shot Arlene. Style of execution. A ball in the head. and because of that, we’re not going anywhere,” Aguirre said.

Arlene’s mother, Wendy, said seeing Earls in court was difficult and necessary.

“It was very emotional. I didn’t want to be here, but I had to be here,” Alvarez said. “I feel like today they had to see my presence.” Choking back tears, she said: “We are here for my daughter’s sake. I miss my daughter.

Arlene’s mother and aunt have made it clear that they will show up every step of the way in this matter, no matter how emotionally difficult it becomes.

“As a family, it is very difficult to see the individual who killed your 9-year-old child and be able to keep him together. These days are not easy. But we will be there because she has already experienced the worst thing a child can experience. His life was taken in an instant,” Aguirre said.

Earls always maintained that he did not intentionally intend to harm Arlene.

SEE ALSO: Death of Arlene Alvarez: $30,000 reward offered for information leading to arrest of robbery suspect who sparked chain of events leading to fatal shooting of 9-year-old