Homicide detectives probing baby's death in north Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston father is under arrest after police discovered his child dead in north Houston on Thursday.

It happened around midday at an apartment complex in the 16000 block of City View Place, and the HPD crime scene unit spent the rest of the day scouring the scene for evidence.

Police were dispatched to the complex around 1:30pm after they received a call from someone claiming there was a child in cardiac arrest.

Police say it looked as if the two-year-old boy, who's been identified as Jashaun Davis, had been badly beaten.

According to an officer on scene, the toddler's father, Tyrone Jefferson, was questioned by detectives and told he them his son became unresponsive after a spanking. According to court documents, the toddler's head was struck against a wall. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a nearby hospital.

Police say the mother was at work when the incident happened. She seemed completely devastated when she spoke with us Friday.

"I was gonna tell him to leave that same day. It was too late. I love that boy more than life itself," the boy's mother, Angela Davis, said.

Jefferson, 24, was later charged with capital murder.

Meanwhile, neighbors are still trying to figure out what happened.

"He looked innocent, like he wouldn't do something like this, but you know never know what's in people's mind," neighbor Evelyn Cloud said.

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Katy PD helps Fort Bend detectives ID suspected robber

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Katy Police Department is getting credit for helping detectives in Fort Bend County identify one of two suspects who robbed a Katy-area Walmart store.

According to Crime Stoppers, staff at Katy PD saw the news release on the November 30 robbery at a Walmart in the 5600 block of State 99 and recognized one of the suspects as 21-year-old Torres Martindale, of Houston. Now, investigators have issued a warrant for his arrest and a search for his whereabouts has begun.

Fort Bend County investigators already knew the identity of the second suspect, 19-year-old Dytedric Fortune, also of Houston. He was arrested Wednesday morning by Katy police on an unrelated charge.

The suspects are accused of hiding two flat-screen televisions under a blanket out and sneaking them out of the store. When they were confronted by a store associate, one of the suspect got out of the getaway vehicle and assaulted the employee.

Both suspects face a robbery charge and face bonds of $25,000.

Anyone with information regarding Martindale's whereabouts is asked to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at 281-341-4665, Fort Bend Crime Stoppers, Inc. at 281-342-TIPS (8477) or text plus the tip to CRIMES (274637). Tips also can be submitted online at www.fortbend-tx-crimestoppers.org.

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Detectives: Brother shoots sister, then kills himself

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An argument between young siblings prompted a deadly shooting in Walker County, according to the sheriff's office.

The shooting happened at about 9pm last night at home just outside of Huntsville. According to the Walker County Sheriff's Office, a 10-year-old boy and his 15-year-old sister had an argument. The brother reportedly went to a safe, retrieved a handgun and shot his sister several times, striking her in the shoulder, abdomen and leg. Detectives say the boy then shot himself.

"The parents did have the guns locked up, and he somehow was able to obtain the code to that safe," said Detective Greg Williams with the Walker County Sheriff's Office.

The children's mother was home at the time and heard the gunshots, then called 911.

Both children were taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. The 15-year-old girl underwent surgery and is listed in critical condition. The boy died at the hospital.

Detectives have recovered the weapon and continue to investigate.

Miya Shay will have more on this story on ABC13 Eyewitness News.

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Detectives searching for Montgomery Co. sex assault suspect

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Detectives are searching for an armed man who went into a West Montgomery County family's backyard and sexually assaulted a child.

Such crimes don't typically happen at High Meadow Ranch near Magnolia. On a typical night, it's quiet and dark; in fact, not many cars pass through the area and that's why what happened there on Sunday is getting people's attention.

With sprawling homes and idyllic scenery, High Meadow Ranch is the ultimate in country living. Woods and wildlife make this golf club community picture perfect. Montgomery County Sheriff's Office officials now want residents to focus on one picture.

"It is a very good sketch," resident Stephanie Dolen said.

Authorities say on Sunday, the victim was in the backyard when the man approached with a gun, grabbed and then sexually assaulted the child before running away into the woods.

"The community, you wouldn't think," Dolen said.

Residents say it is far from typical for High Meadow Ranch, a reminder that crime can happen anywhere.

"A lot of people who live there saying they are trying to keep up with their kids," Dolen said.

At a nearby practice for Magnolia Lacrosse, many moms were just learning of the attack, and for Karen Wilkinson, it hits close to home.

"Our property borders those woods and my children use the property for recreational purposes. My kids are there fishing and paint balling and those kinds of things and I want them to be aware that they need to just be cautious," Wilkinson said.

Sheriff's officials wouldn't give us the age or gender of the victim, and they wouldn't elaborate on the extent of the assault.

The suspect was described as a white man who appeared to be sunburned and has blue eyes and black eyebrows. He was wearing black pants, black shoes and a black pullover hoodie.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect's identity is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Detective Division at 936-760-5876 or Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP (7867).

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Detectives probing woman's death in NW Harris Co.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found inside a northwest Harris County apartment complex.

The incident happened at an apartment complex in the 12700 block of West FM 1960.

Detectives say it's possible that woman had been dead inside this apartment back here for a couple of days. Now they are trying to figure out if they are dealing with a homicide.

Investigators say it was a maintenance man who discovered the woman's body at Carrington Place Apartments. They say that workers entered an apartment in building five for routine maintenance when he spotted the victim's body, just past the front door on the living room floor.

Right now, investigators are searching the apartment and collecting evidence.

Several neighbors say the unit at the center of this investigation has been known to have a lot of questionable outside traffic coming in and out recently.

Neighbors also say they've witnessed the woman who lives in that apartment in several loud fights outside in the past few weeks.

Apartment management is not commenting on the investigation at this time.

"Her daughter had not heard from her in a few days and called to ask for them to check on her and they found a point of entry where they can go in and check and found her deceased," Harris County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Robert Spurgeon said.

Investigators say they are still collecting evidence and will order an autopsy to help better determine exactly what happened.

The victim has been described only as a woman in her 40s.

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Detectives: Two armed men rob Walmart in Atascocita

ATASCOCITA, TX (KTRK) -- Some scary moments at a Walmart in Atascocita. Late Tuesday night, two men with assault rifles ran into the store, robbed it and sped away. The search is now on for those gunmen.

Deputies have a vague description of the suspects, so they're urging residents in the area to be viligant because they're considered to be armed and dangerous.

Harris County investigators say the armed robbery at the Atascocita Walmart may have been an inside job.

"To see if these two suspects had any type of information that came from inside the store that only employees would know; that's certainly one of the angles that our investigators will be looking at," Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy Thomas Gilleland said.

Two men armed with a long gun and a rifle walked in at 11pm, the exact time when employees take the cash from every register and put into one cart.

"As they were doing this for each cash register, the two males entered the store," Gilleland said.

The robbers -- wearing cloths to conceal their faces -- made off with a large amount of cash in just a few minutes. Shoppers are now concerned about their safety.

"Well I've seen cops on every block basically and I didn't really know what was going on until we came up here to Walmart and we saw like four cop cars blocking off the entrance," shopper Charles Hines said.

"I am always watching behind me, in front of me, around me. I'm always watching my areas, never leave my back to a door," shopper Kristi Wittman said.

The men took off in a 1995 or 96 white Ford Taurus with a handicapped placard. They headed into the Eagle Springs subdivision, and that's the last place deputies say they saw them.

"It's just unnerving," another shopper said.

Walmart issued the following statement about the robbery:

"We're thankful no one was hurt and we appreciate the quick response of police. We have provided information ... and will continue to assist them in their investigation."

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

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Detectives searching for grocery store robber

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Detectives are searching for an armed man who robbed a north Harris County grocery store earlier this month.

On December 5, a man walked into a grocery store in the 1400 block of Spring Cypress Road and headed straight to the customer service counter, where an employee was standing behind a cash register, according to Crime Stoppers. The suspect lifted his shirt and displayed a gun then demanded cash.

The employee complied with the victim's request and handed him an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then fled the scene.

The suspect is described as a white male, between the ages of 25 and 30 years old. He is about 5-foot-5 and weighs between 150 and 160 pounds. He had several colorful tattoos on the left side of his neck, a piercing on his bottom lip, and a brass knuckles tattoo on his left hand.

At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a gray striped pullover hooded sweater, blue jeans with rips in the front, and white shoes.

Anyone with information about the identity of the suspects is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-8477.

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Detectives searching for alleged abductor

Ralph Wayne Weber is wanted on a charge of aggravated kidnapping. He is accused of abducting and binding a woman as she walked past a wooded area in northeast Harris County.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Detectives are searching for a 48-year-old man accused of abducting a woman as she was walking by a wooded area in northeast Harris County.

Ralph Wayne Weber is wanted on a charge of aggravated kidnapping, according to a Harris County probable cause document. He is accused of abducting a woman at gunpoint on May 29. Detectives say the victim was walking along the 2500 block of Highland Shores when Weber stepped out of the woods and pointed a black semi-automatic gun at her and said you need to come with me. Weber escorted the woman toward the back of the woods and pushed her down on her knees. He then struck her in the back of the head with the gun, causing her to pass out. The victim said she regained consciousness and found wire wrapped around her neck and feet and when the suspect noticed she had come to, she says he tightened the wire around her neck until she passed out again. According to court documents, the woman later was discovered by her brother, who went searching for her after she'd been gone for an hour. He told detectives he found her in the wooded area tied up in wire and wearing nothing but her shorts. The victim was taken to an area hospital where records show she had suffered bruises on the back of her head, neck and feet that were consistent with what she remembered happened. Detectives say a Crime Stoppers tip later led them to the identification of Weber. The victim was then able to pick him out of a photo lineup as the man who allegedly attacked her. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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