HOUSTON — A sense of love and support intersected at the same intersection where postal worker Robert Jones was killed in a hit-and-run nearly a week ago.
"He was our mailman for a couple of years now," said Ashley Maki.
It’s still somewhat surreal for neighborhood residents and business owners who gathered at the corner of Julia Street and Bauman Road for Friday night's vigil.
"It’s just been really hard," said Maki. "I mean Monday morning seeing a different carrier coming to the office, you’re just heartbroken. You know it’s heartbreaking."
Jones has been described as a man who delivered much more than just the mail but joy to those who knew and worked with him.
"Robert was always the type of person that he was never confrontational," said Klen Stewart, Jones's co-worker. "You never knew when he was mad. He’s always had a smile on his face, and he was very uplifting."
"It's a great loss, it’s a great loss," said Adriana Mason, Jones's cousin.
Jones' funeral will be held Saturday morning at the New Mt Carmel Baptist Church. There will be a viewing from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. followed by a celebration of life.
Jesus Natividad Gutierrez has been charged in the hit-and-run crash that killed Jones.
He'd been released from jail after posting a $105,000 bond, but his freedom didn't last long. KHOU 11 News cameras were rolling as Gutierrez walked in and sat in the courtroom Thursday before he was taken into custody again for violating his probation.
"So, Mr. Gutierrez was on deferred adjudication for felon in possession of a weapon out of this court, and this new offense, failure to stop and render aid violates his adjudication,” Joe Wells, Gutierrez’s attorney, explained.
Deferred adjudication is a type of probation from a previous charge. Wells said since Gutierrez picked up two new charges the judge signed an order to revoke his probation. This time his bond was set at $45,000.