A suspect in the slaying of a Burleson firefighter received a $785,000 bond reduction after transferring jails and was released last week, shocking the firefighter’s family and friends.
Brandon Scott Stubbs, 26, of Joshua is the primary suspect in the death of Christopher Edward Martinez, a 28-year-old Briaroaks volunteer firefighter shot to death Jan. 24 in the front yard of his Burleson home after apparently engaging in a verbal argument with a neighbor’s house guest. Martinez’s wife, Mindy, 29, was also shot during the incident as the couple’s two young children slept inside, but she survived.
Stubbs was arrested soon after the shooting, which occurred in the 400 block of Hanover Street in Burleson, and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Municipal Judge Toni Driver set Stubbs’ original bond at $750,000 for the murder charge and $100,000 for the assault charge, said Sally Ellertson, public information officer for the city of Burleson. He was held in Burleson’s jail and transferred to the Tarrant County Jail several days later.
Stubbs was released Feb. 4, on a $50,000 bond for the murder charge and $15,000 for the additional charge, said Kevin Rousseau, chief of the Tarrant County gang and homicide unit, who is familiar with the case.
“The reason it’s so shocking is because the original bonds set were astronomically high,” he said. “It was a problem that had everybody shocked, and I understand why. The victim’s family should be talked to and hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to talk to them today to explain all this.”
Tarrant County has an adopted bond schedule to apply to all kinds of charges, Rousseau said. The minimum bond for a murder charge is $25,000 according to the schedule and $15,000 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony, he said. Stubbs faces five years to life in prison if convicted of murder and two to 20 years if convicted of aggravated assault, he said.
“In the two separate cases, the judge will consult the bond schedule and then consider whatever else may need to be considered in setting the bond,” he said. “The purpose of the bond is to make sure someone appears in court.”
Stubbs’ first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday in the 213th District Court of Tarrant County, Rousseau said.
“Had they brought [Stubbs] to Tarrant immediately, the bonds would never be set that high,” he said. “I don’t know why it was set so high, but I’m sure the judge had reasons.
“When they come to Tarrant, they have to be treated in line with other cases. I’ve seen it before. It’s not uncommon for municipal judges to set them higher. In small jurisdictions that are less familiar with murder cases, they tend to be higher.”
Stubbs’ court-ordered bond conditions are to report to his probation officer weekly, to not contact victims and their family, and maintain his job, Rousseau said. He is also ordered not to contact his wife, whom he has a pending divorce case with, he said.
Driver could not be reached for comment.
Alan Smallwood, deputy chief at Briaroaks VFD, said Martinez was a brother to his fellow firefighters for nine years and will be greatly missed.
“How would you feel if you lost your brother?” Smallwood asked. “You would be stunned.”
A fund benefitting Martinez’s immediate family is open for donations at Pinnacle Bank, which has locations in Joshua, Burleson, Keene, Cleburne and Mountain Valley. The account can be identified under the name of the victim’s father, Arthur Martinez.
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Slaying suspect’s bond reduced
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