Macario Mac Alexander De León was an 18-year-old from Houston, Texas, who had just graduated from high school and was known for his dedication to his family and his strong work ethic. His mother, Monica De León, remembered him as a "loving son" who held down two jobs. His family, which included his parents, siblings, grandparents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, was central to his life. Known to friends and family as "Mac," he was just beginning his adult life when it was tragically cut short.
On the evening of December 6, 2020, at approximately 8:05 p.m., Macario was in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 400 block of the North Sam Houston Parkway East service road. Houston Police Department investigators reported that Macario and another male were there to conduct a transaction with a third individual. During the meeting, a robbery occurred, and Macario was shot multiple times. When patrol officers arrived, they found him with critical gunshot wounds.
Paramedics from the Houston Fire Department transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Houston Police Department's Homicide Division, led by Detectives C. Lamont and L. Lange, immediately began an investigation. They learned that three other people who were present during the shooting had fled the scene. Two of them later returned and cooperated with detectives. Through further investigation, police identified the third person who fled as 21-year-old Luis Rey Ybarbo. On December 15, 2020, the Harris County District Attorney's Office charged Ybarbo with murder and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon for his alleged role in Macario’s death.
The charges against Ybarbo quickly drew public outrage when it was revealed that he had been released from jail just weeks before the killing. At the time of the shooting, Ybarbo was already on probation for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. His bond had been revoked in July 2020 after he was charged with four new felonies, including aggravated robbery and aggravated assault on a family member. However, on October 17, a judge in the 338th Criminal District Court reinstated his bonds, allowing for his release. This decision prompted victims' rights advocates and Macario's family to call for felony bond reform. "I do believe that if this suspect had not been released that my son would be able to celebrate his birthday this coming Sunday with us," his mother, Monica De León, said.
Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers called the case a preventable tragedy, stating, "None of this should have ever happened. That’s what makes it so frustrating." The case became a focal point in the debate over judges granting multiple bonds to violent offenders. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and then-Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo both voiced their frustration with the system that allowed Ybarbo to be free.
As of the latest available reports from December 2020, Luis Rey Ybarbo remains a wanted man. The Houston Police Department issued multiple felony warrants for his arrest, including for the murder of Macario De León, and asked for the public's help in locating him. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Luis Rey Ybarbo is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
