Houston News: June 2012

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Driver slams into street signs, flees from scene

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man crashed into street signs on the Southwest Freeway feeder road and then took off on foot.

It happened near Kirby just before 1am. Police say the driver somehow lost control and hit a red light pole, knocked over two street signs, then rolled to a stop at the U-turn underneath the freeway.

Another driver crashed into one of those signs spewed across the feeder road a short time later, disabling his car.

All of the debris has since been cleared.

local

View the original article here

Help the FBI find this week's featured gang fugitive

Nathaniel Wiggins, 26, is wanted for an aggravated robbery from January 23 and is a known member of the 59 Bounty Hunters gang.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- From our exccusive Crime Tracker and a partnership with the FBI, we want to bring you the StopHoustonGangs.com 'Fugitive of the Week.'

Nathaniel Wiggins, 26, is wanted for an aggravated robbery from January 23 and is a known member of the 59 Bounty Hunters gang. Wiggins is 5 foot 10 and 165 pounds, and has a distinctive tattoo on his chest that says 'SWAT.'

If you have any information on his whereabouts, submit an anonymous tip online at StopHoustonGangs.org.

Make sure to watch Eyewitness News every Thursday as we profile a new wanted gang fugitive.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Emergency water rationing for League City

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- People in League City are under orders to conserve after a pipe carrying nearly all of the city's water sprung a severe leak.

Officials say there is a leak in the line that carries 90 percent of the city's water. They've implemented a Stage 3 Water Alert which means no watering your lawns, no washing cars, and no filling up swimming pools.

Repairs are underway and crews say it could be another 24 to 36 hours before the line is fully replaced. The new pipe to replace the broken 39 inch pipe was brought to the site.

The water line they are having to replace runs to League City from Houston. The city says the break shouldn't affect water distribution but residents must follow the city's mandatory restrictions.

"League City is currently on a Stage 3 water restriction which is the severe, most stringent restrictions and that limits basically all irrigation and all car wash and any usage other than essential usage," said Public works manager Jodi Hooks.

Crews are working around the clock to get the line repaired. At this point, there are no water boil notices.

Stage Three of the Drought Contingency Plan is the most stringent stage and includes the following restrictions: Irrigation of landscaped areas is absolutely prohibited.Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorcycle, 4-wheeler, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is absolutely prohibited. Use of water to wash down any sidewalk, walkway, driveway, parking lot, tennis court, or other hard surface area is absolutely prohibited.Flushing of gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street is absolutely prohibited.Washing down any building or structure for purposes other than immediate fire protection is absolutely prohibited. Use of water to fill, refill or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi-type pools or water-slides is prohibited.Use of water in a fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited, except when necessary to support aquatic life.(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

league city, local

View the original article here

Boy found in pool rushed to hospital

A child was rushed to a hospital Thursday afternoon after he was found in a pool at a northwest Houston apartment complex.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are investigating an accident at a swimming pool in northwest Houston.

A young boy was spotted in the pool of an apartment complex on Antoine and Tidwell Thursday afternoon.

The child was rushed to a hospital with CPR in progress, but his condition wasn't immediately known.

Neighbors say the boy is seven years old.

Apartment complex management says the pool has had locks on its entry doors since last week.

Police are questioning the mother to figure out what exactly happened.

No other details were immediately available.

local

View the original article here

Man named 'Jesus Christ' accused of armed robbery

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man named 'Jesus Christ' is accused of using a gun to hold up a man during a robbery last weekend.

According to court documents, Jesus Christ Anthony Turner threatened a man with a firearm during a June 16 robbery. He was arrested on June 18.

Turner, 27, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. No bond has been set.

Court records show Turner has multiple prior convictions, including drugs, assault and evading arrest. He also was charged with burglary back on January 23.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Identities of club shooting victims released

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are still looking for the killers who shot three people to death outside a southwest Houston club following a concert. Hundreds had gathered outside the Scores Cabaret at 9850 Westpark Drive in southwest Houston after a Juneteenth rap concert, and that's when someone opened fire.

The gunfire took place at about 3:15am Wednesday. Police have identified Coy Thompson, 23, Erica Rochelle Dotson, 30, and Carlos Durell Dorsey, 31, who all died at the scene. Two other victims, Willie Watkins, 37, and Frazier Othel Thompson, 31, also known as rap artist Trae Tha Truth, suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to Ben Taub General Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Trae had just performed a concert inside a club, and as patrons were leaving the club at closing time, shots were fired. Police say their investigation has determined Coy Thompson was the intended target of the shooting and the other victims were struck by the gunfire intended for him.

Police say Thompson, also known as "Poppa C," had gotten into a domestic dispute on Sunday and received threats on his life. Investigators also determined Thompson had been involved in a similar shooting incident outside a nightclub at 9600 Bissonnet on November 25, 2011, in which Dominique Brown, also known as "Money Clip" was killed.

No arrests have been made in that ongoing investigation. At this time, it has not been determined if these two incidents are related.

Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

local

View the original article here

Authorities searching for missing 88-year-old man

Alberto Martinez has been missing since 9am Wednesday. He was last seen at his home in the 7800 block of Battleoak Drive.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities are searching for a missing 88-year-old man who has not been seen since 9am Wednesday.

Alberto Martinez was last seen at his home in the 7800 block of Battleoak Drive, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap with gold-colored embroidery reading "World War II Veteran," a beige polo shirt, white T-shirt, blue jeans and brown "Bass" loafers.

Martinez wears glasses and has scars on his face and bruises on his arms.

He could be driving a white 2000 Chevy Silverado pickup truck with a Texas license plate number 29MXP5.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit at 713-755-7427.

local

View the original article here

Friday, June 22, 2012

Sex offender who molested boy in library restroom gets life in prison

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A sexual predator who attacked a little boy in a Montrose public library two years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison.

That was the sentence a judge handed to Michael Snowden on Thursday. The sentence came after heartbreaking testimony from the victim who was six years old at the time he was sexually assaulted in the library's bathroom.

Snowden is a registered sex offender with a history of assaulting young boys since he was just nine years old.

The judge said he felt Snowden would offend again if released and gave him a life sentence.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

In Houston Texas, Opportunity Abounds

Galveston runoff election being held Saturday

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- Galveston is holding a runoff election tomorrow.

The mayor's job and the seat for Council District 4 are both up for grabs. In the mayor's race, Joe Jaworski is up against Lewis Rosen. In district four, Dianna Puccetti and Norman Pappous are both in the hunt.

Polls will be open from 7am to 7pm. There are nine polling locations. CheckGalvestonVotes.org to find your location.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

galveston, local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Couple killed in Pasadena house fire

PASADENA, TX (KTRK) -- An early morning house fire in Pasadena has killed an elderly couple found in the home.

The flames tore through the home on Monroe near Pasadena Boulevard around 4:30am.

Firefighters fought their way into the house and found the woman lying at the front door, covered with burns. Crews then found the man on the ground at the back door.

Both fire victims were transpoted to Pasadena Bayshore Hospital where they later died.

It's not clear what started the fire.

We are gathering more information and we will update you on Eyewitness News and abc13.com as additional details become available.

pasadena, local

View the original article here

Woman who died years ago remains mystery

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- Police are hoping someone can help them identify a woman found dead in the Pearland area.

On March 19, Pearland police recovered skeletal remains from a property located in the 4600 block of Dixie Farm Road. At that time, the remains were collected and sent to first the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office and later to Sam Houston State University for further examination.

DNA was recovered from the remains and sent off to the University of North Texas to determine if the remains could be matched to a missing person. The results of testing did not match any known individuals. The department is now asking for the public's help in identifying the remains.

The individual is believed to be a black female between the ages of 40 and 50. She would have stood between 4 feet, 10 inches and 5 feet, 4 inches. The forensic anthropologist estimated that the victim died between one and three years ago. At the time of her death the victim was wearing a blue shirt, Old Navy flare jeans and white size 6 Reebok tennis shoes.

"This was someone's daughter, someone's friend," said PPD Lt. Onesimo Lopez. "Someone is missing her."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Steve Weaver at 281-997-4154.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

pearland, local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Two men try to rob armored truck outside SW Houston bank

Police investigate an attempted aggravated robbery of an armored truck parked outside a bank in southwest Houston.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are investigating an attempted aggravated robbery of an armored truck parked outside a bank in southwest Houston.

The incident happened shortly before 3pm at a bank in the 5200 block of Kirby Drive.

Initial information suggests two men posing as construction workers tried to rob an armored truck in the bank parking lot.

The suspects then fled in a white pickup truck, but a couple of blocks away, SkyEye HD spotted police cars by an abandoned pickup truck that had a construction hat on its dashboard.

It did not appear that any suspects were arrested.

Police are still at the scene investigating.

local

View the original article here

Great Ideas on What to See and Do While Visiting the Great City of Houston, Texas

Cleveland site of alleged gang rape torn down

CLEVELAND, TX (KTRK) -- A Cleveland house trailer at the center of a gang rape investigation that shocked the nation has been reduced to a pile of rubble.

The city of Cleveland tore down the structure on Ross Avenue this week. It had been scheduled for demolition even before it became the scene of multiple sexual assaults, allegedly committed against an 11-year-old girl back in 2010.

Twenty-one men, including seven juveniles, face charges in that case. Many of them have accepted plea deals.

We worked on this story with our Houston Community Newspaper partner. You can read more in The Cleveland Advocate.

cleveland, local

View the original article here

Baby delivered after mom killed crossing the street dies in hospital

Investigators say 30-year old Rice University teacher Jennifer Young was crossing the street at Main and Cambridge Tuesday morning when she was hit by a car. She died at a hospital and doctors were forced to deliver her unborn child.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The baby delivered by doctors after its mother was fatally struck crossing the street earlier this week has died in the hospital.

Doctors at Memorial Hermann Hospital performed emergency surgery to deliver the unborn child on Tuesday. The baby had been in critical condition at the hospital since then, but died Thursday.

Police say the mother, 30-year-old Jennifer Young, was trying to cross the street at the intersection of Main and Cambridge at about 9:20am Tuesday when a vehicle hit her.

The driver of the vehicle was questioned and released at the scene. The investigation continues.

Young was a teacher at Rice University. According to university officials, she taught computational and applied mathematics. She had been working at the university of two years.

local

View the original article here

Police: HPD officer opens fire on gun-wielding suspect

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston police officer shot at a gun-wielding suspect who took aim at that officer twice in southwest Houston last night.

The patrol officer was answering a call for backup from an undercover officer at an apartment complex on Westpark and Gessner.

That undercover officer had spotted the gunman fighting with a woman and then pointing the gun at her. When the undercover officer intervened, the man ran off with the gun. During the foot chase, a patrol officer says the man aimed at him with the gun. Both times the officer opened fire and both times the suspect was not hit.

Eventually other officers captured the gunman. No one was hurt.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

HISD bond would rebuild schools

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- HISD is unveiling plans that would change the look of high school for almost every Houston student. And if approved, it will change residents' bottom line for decades to come.

The plan calls for $1.9 billion, and no matter what you spend that kind of money on, it is a lot of cash. The school board is proposing spending that money to renovate dozens of schools. It's mostly targeting high schools, with $1.3 billion of the money spent to rebuilt 14 high schools.

If voters agree to increase their own taxes for decades to come, a number of high schools will soon be history. Lee, Yates, Sharpstown, the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and four others are all set to be torn down and rebuilt. It's part of a nearly $2 billion bond program Houston home and business owners will soon be asked to pay for.

HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier said, "This is a good investment. This is good for Houston. When you start replacing this number of high schools, it can change an entire city."

HISD says its aging buildings are too old for school. A consultant hired by the board says Houston high schools are eight years older than the national average, and the rest of the schools are right at it.

Susan Zoeller with Parsons Engineering said, "You have aging buildings. 1925 I think is the oldest one? Tthings have changed since 1925."

At the same time, the consultant admits this is a huge proposal -- maybe a little too big.

"Few school districts in the country would take this on," Zoeller said.

"I'm pretty concerned by the size of this," said former tax assessor collector Paul Bettencourt. "I question in an economy that's soft, even certainly nationally, why we're going for such a huge amount of money all at one time."

Already there is some opposition, not necessarily to the need, but for the size of the program. The $1.9 billion is twice what the district asked for just five years ago. For an average $200,000 home in HISD, that's $91 in extra school taxes every year for decades.

"If you have a brand new school, the value of your home goes up," Dr. Grier said.

Your choice -- $100 for 30 years for a new school in your neighborhood. Voters will likely be asked in November. A poll commissioned by an outside group for the school district said about 48 percent of Houstonians already support it.

View a map of the school campuses HISD proposes to have completely rebuilt, partially replaced, renovated, converted and expanded.

houston isd, in focus, ted oberg

View the original article here

Police make arrest in series of sexual assaults in SW Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A suspected serial rapist is behind bars accused of attacking at least three women all at the same apartment complex in southwest Houston.

The details of this case are so disturbing that we cannot share most of what was read in court. Prosecutors read the horrific details of seven charges against Sedrick Johnson, 20.

They say he violently robbed and raped three different women at The Mills apartments, forcing them at gunpoint into a vacant unit for the alleged assaults.

A fourth victim fought and escaped without being raped, but was seriously injured.

Prosecutors say DNA evidence from the three rape victims matches Johnson's DNA, which was in the CODIS database because it was collected while Johnson was in prison for burglary.

Crime lab supervisor Courtney Head said, "We put one case into CODIS on Friday at about noon and approximately two hours later we got a hit."

Johnson was recently paroled after serving less than half of his three year sentence and also has a prior theft conviction.

Police say the crimes happened May 20, May 22 and June 3, with two attacks occurring the same day. Three of the four victims visually identified Johnson as their attacker.

Now at The Mills apartments security walks the grounds around the clock, surveillance cameras are rolling and Houston police have a visible presence. This is new and all reassuring to residents.

Johnson's girlfriend, who would not show her face on camera, believes he is innocent.

"I know the whole time he's been with me. We don't have time to do anything. All we do is work and go home," she said. "They're not true and I have proof that they're not true because we were home at the time."

Prosecutors say what Johnson allegedly did to these women was beyond violent, calling it "inhuman."

"Very animalistic, his tendencies are very similar," said prosecutor Alison Baimbridge. "The methodology, you could say, with which he used time after time with these women, is something that a normal human couldn't fathom, so if you think someone has the audacity to treat another human with that amount of disrespect, it's something that breaks your heart. It's unimaginable."

Johnson was denied bond and given a court-appointed attorney. He goes back to court on August 2.

Police are still looking for an accomplice, who acted as a lookout. They say they have some good leads.

"Each one of those women will never forget them, they will live them in their dreams and in their nightmares forever," Baimbridge said.

Several community activists, including Quanell X, got involved by handing out flyers, which may have helped with the arrest.

Johnson lives around the corner from the apartment complex and has lived there since April.

local

View the original article here

Pack of dogs attack dog walkers in Galveston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There was another dog attack in Galveston. This time, a pack of four pit bulls targeted two dog walkers.

The Galveston County Daily News reports that the dogs attacked at the condos on Galveston's East End.

First, they went after a woman's Corgi-mix breed, who suffered a few bites and scratches. Minutes later, the dogs attacked a miniature husky and her owner. The husky needed surgery for her wounds.

It's the third dog attack in a month on the island. The first was by a pair of Rottweilers and the second by a pit bull that got loose.

local

View the original article here

3 killed, 1 injured in 3-vehicle Houston crash

HOUSTON -- Three people are dead and one person was hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash on a rain-slick street in northwest Houston.

The crash happened just before 6 p.m. Wednesday when a car rounded a curve, hydroplaned and veered into oncoming traffic. Police Sgt. Nora Perry tells the Houston Chronicle another car and a pickup truck then slammed into the first car.

A passenger in the second car died outright, while the driver of the car and a passenger in the first car later died at a hospital. The driver of the first car was taken to Northwest Memorial Hermann Hospital. His condition was not available. The driver of the truck was not injured.

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Argument between men ends in double shooting

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are searching for a shooter who injured two people outside a store in east Houston.

Investigators say three men got in an argument last night on Gregg near Sarah Street.

Shots were fired, and two of the men were hit. Their injuries were not life-threatening. The third man ran away and is still on the run.

local

View the original article here

NTSB issues safety alert on NEXRADs in planes

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Every night, we use weather radar to tell you about what to expect in your neighborhood. But the National Transportation Safety Board says the weather radar used by some pilots in the cockpit may be cause some very dangerous problems.

The NTSB just issued a safety alert reminding all pilots that Next-Generation Radar or NEXRAD - a network of radars operated by the National Weather Service -- is not totally reliable. In fact, some of the data might be old and using it could be deadly.

Ask any pilot and the weather is their biggest enemy.

"It's the one unknown that's out of our control," said Capt. Brandon Ray of Western Airways in Sugar Land.

Wind, clouds, rain, they are all factors.

Last December, the NTSB believed weather played a role in a crash that killed a Georgia family over Bryan; and this week, the agency said the pilot may have relied on old weather information provided by NEXRAD before the plane came apart in the sky.

"If you focus on the NEXRAD and the NEXRAD alone, you could fly into what appears to be clear weather but it turns out to be maybe a cell that's actually moved in," Ray said.

And that's exactly what the NTSB fears happened. This new safety alert says the last images received in the cockpit from NEXRAD were six, seven and eight minutes old.

Ray took us aboard a King Air and showed us how it could happen.

"Right here NEXRAD shows that it's five minutes old," he said.

While the information shows a five-minute delay, he says the images are really a lot older.

"Five minutes is when we received the information, it's not necessarily when the weather is valid," Ray said.

So he and the rest of the pilots use a combination of live radar and NEXRAD to plan routes, not to mention experience. For those pilots without the resources of an airline, weather briefings are easily available online

It's something most pilots already know but worth an important reminder about NEXRAD's limitations before taking off into the sky.

"If it's used in the wrong way, it could be deadly," Ray said.

The NTSB says the pilot of the Bryan crash last year actually flew into a developing rainstorm. It's the second crash in the past year and half where NEXRAD was used.

And though National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ultimately oversees NEXRAD, a spokeswoman says they are not involved in this issue.

local, jessica willey

View the original article here

Houston and ex-NFL star Johnny Jolly wants back in NFL

Former NFL and Forest Brook star John Jolly wants to return to the NFL

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houstonian and former Green Bay Packer Johnny Jolly says he's taking steps to return to the NFL.

The 29-year-old Jolly tells us he has applied to Commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement. Jolley was suspended indefinitely back in 2009 in connection with drug charges here in Harris County.

He was recently granted 10 years of "shock probation" instead of serving six years behind bars. If Jolly is allowed to return, he tells the National Football Post that he'd like to go back to Green Bay.

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Judge: Gray hair not reason for woman's firing

HOUSTON -- A Houston woman who contended she was fired improperly because of her shoulder-length gray hair has lost her federal age discrimination lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Gray Miller has ruled Sandra Rawline was discharged in 2009 for legitimate reasons from her six-year job as an escrow officer and branch manager at Capital Title of Texas.

In a ruling issued June 6, the judge said evidence was overwhelming that she behaved unprofessionally on numerous occasions and admitted the issue about dying her hair was only her opinion of what a supervisor meant.

Capital Title of Texas lawyer David Margulies said Wednesday she didn't do her job and the firm's biggest client didn't want to work with her. Evidence showed clients had complained about her rudeness, tardiness, temper and use of "choice words."

local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Friday, June 22, 2012

infolinks