Murder suspect arrested on new slaying allegations

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A murder suspect is back behind bars, accused of a second brutal killing. Now, the second victim's son wants to know why Jose Dominguez was out on the streets in the first place.

Dominguez is now charged with capital murder. Baytown police say he confessed to this one, allegedly committed while he was out on bond for another murder.

Ercile Johnson is remembered by his son as far from perfect -- a Vietnam vet who served briefly in the Army and loved his family deeply.

"My father, he was a caring person, loving person," his son, Derrick White, said.

Johnson was stabbed to death inside his Baytown apartment last Saturday. It was a scene detectives describe as gruesome.

"It could be said that this was premeditated. He received in excess of 70 stab wounds to his body," Baytown Police Department Lt. Eric Free said.

Two days later, acting on tips, police located Dominguez at a Houston gas station. He agreed to talk to them, giving a full confession. He was arrested and before his court appearance on Tuesday, admitted to investigators he killed Johnson as he tried to steal crack cocaine from him. Dominguez also admitted to detectives that he was on bond for a prior murder when he allegedly killed Johnson.

"If he was charged with murder, there's no way that he should have been out," White said.

Court documents show Dominguez is accused also of a 2008 murder in which he allegedly strangled someone. He bonded out of custody last September. The case is still awaiting trial.

White is now asking what is taking so long. If the case had been tried, he wonders, would Dominguez have been in custody and unable to hurt his father?

"I don't understand the system. I know it has flaws, but that's just a flaw that shouldn't be in the system," he said.

Calls to Dominguez's attorney were not returned. The DA's office says the delay in getting that first murder case to trial is due in part to the large volume of cases the courts have to handle. The judge overseeing that case would not comment on it.

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local, kevin quinn

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