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WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Waco murder defendant whose bond was revoked in April was spared another trip to jail Friday after a judge denied a state request to revoke his bond again.

Judge Thomas West of Waco’s 19th State District Court warned Jeremiah Darnel Walker, 25, that he could face additional jail time if he fails again to keep his GPS ankle monitor charged and operational.

West conducted a hearing Friday to consider a motion from the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office to revoke or increase Walker’s bond because Walker’s ankle monitor, which he is required to wear as a condition of his bond, was not charged properly and shut down for more than three hours in the early morning hours of May 26.

West revoked Walker’s $150,000 bond on April 12 and increased it to $200,000 after about 100 GPS battery violations from Sept. 11, 2022, to March 19, 2024. West also ordered Walker to stay under house arrest as a condition of his bond.

Walker is under indictment in the August 2021 shooting death of 39-year-old Dusty Bethke Jr., who was found with a gunshot wound after crashing his car on Daughtrey Avenue after an argument with Walker.

Walker testified that he has had trouble keeping his GPS battery charged, but said he is notified by buzzing and flashing lights when the battery is running low. He said he stays home with his four children, ages 5, 4, 2 and 5 months, and rarely leaves the home he shares with his mother, even to empty the trash because he said he fears another GPS violation.

“I have four children. I have no time to run around. I’m being a dad,” Walker testified under questioning from his attorney, Phil Martinez.

Despite arguments to revoke Walker’s bond from prosecutors Michel Simer and Will Hix, the judge kept Walker’s bond amount the same and did not revoke it for the second time. However, he admonished Walker that he would not tolerate additional violations.

“Your children have to be the most important thing in your life, but taking care of the ankle monitor has to be right below that,” West told Walker. “I don’t want to see you in here again until Oct. 7, when we go to trial.”

After denying the state’s motion, West ordered Walker to submit to a drug and alcohol test, which came back negative.

According to arrest records, Waco police were called after Bethke crashed his car into a fence in 3100 block of Daughtrey Avenue. He had been shot and died later at a local hospital.

Speaking with witnesses and watching video, police investigators learned Walker and Bethke had been in an argument outside a store in the 1800 block of Richter Avenue, an arrest affidavit alleges.

Police said Walker got out of his vehicle with a pistol and fired multiple shots at Bethke, striking him once in the torso.