A 19-year-old man was booked into the Harris County Jail this week after deputies say he pulled a firearm on another man during an altercation along a busy commercial stretch of North Freeway. Daniel Monjaras now faces a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and a judge has set his bond at $20,000.
Deputies Respond Fast to Weapons Call
According to a Facebook post from Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4, deputies responded to a weapons disturbance on Saturday in the 15800 block of North Freeway, where Monjaras allegedly produced a firearm and threatened another male during the confrontation. Deputies with Herman's office responded quickly to the disturbance, and Monjaras was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail. Constable Herman said threatening someone with a firearm during an altercation is a serious and dangerous offense, per the same post.
The stretch of North Freeway where the incident happened is a busy commercial corridor lined with businesses including a Buffalo Wild Wings, and the area regularly draws deputy responses for disturbances and property crimes, according to a 2019 Precinct 4 Facebook post. The block has seen law enforcement activity before; in October 2023, Precinct 4 deputies conducted a traffic stop in the same block that led to the arrest of a suspect wanted on an out-of-state felony warrant for aggravated battery, per SpringTX.com.
What the Felony Charge Means Under Texas Law
Under Texas Penal Code § 22.02(a)(2), aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is classified as a second-degree felony carrying a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in a Texas state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to Texas Constitution and Statutes. Notably, Texas criminal law considers brandishing or displaying a firearm during an altercation legally sufficient to sustain an aggravated assault charge even when no shots are fired and no one is physically injured, as explained by Dunham & Jones Attorneys at Law. That legal standard is why Monjaras faces a felony count even though the Precinct 4 account does not describe any gunfire or injuries.
Texas law also provides potential legal defenses in weapon-related assault cases. Under Texas Penal Code § 9.32, self-defense can serve as an affirmative defense, allowing a defendant to present evidence that deadly force was reasonably believed to be immediately necessary, without any duty to retreat, according to The Hull Firm. It remains unknown what specific dispute triggered the altercation, whether the firearm was lawfully possessed, or whether Monjaras will raise a self-defense claim as his case proceeds.
Bond Set in Harris County's 183rd District Court
Monjaras's $20,000 bond was set by the 183rd District Court of Harris County, which is presided over by Judge Lance Long. Long was appointed to the bench by Governor Greg Abbott in December 2024 following more than two decades as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Office, according to Ballotpedia. The case will move through Harris County's felony court system, which includes 29 Criminal District Courts handling everything from state jail felonies to capital murder charges, per Justex.net.
To secure release from the Harris County Jail on a $20,000 bond, a defendant typically must pay a standard 10 percent fee, or $2,000, to a licensed commercial bail bondsman, or deposit the full cash amount with the county clerk, according to Flatiron Legal Advisors. It is not yet known whether Monjaras has posted bond.
A Recurring Pattern Along the North Freeway Corridor
Precinct 4, which patrols 520 square miles across North Harris County and serves roughly 1.1 million residents, is the largest constable's agency in the United States, per the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office. The office relies heavily on its C4 NOW mobile app and social media posts to push real-time crime alerts and arrest reports directly to residents, a tool it used again in publicizing this arrest. It is the same public safety channel Hoodline has previously covered following a threat against deputies along the same corridor and a separate case involving a random neighborhood shooting.
As with all suspects named in Precinct 4's releases, Monjaras is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Deputies have not released additional details about what led to the confrontation, and the case remains in the early stages of Harris County's criminal court process.
