Apartment fire in Rosenberg displaces 18 families

A fire in the kitchen quickly spread at an apartment complex in Rosenberg.

  ROSENBERG, TX (KTRK) -- A fire in a kitchen quickly spread through an apartment complex in Rosenberg last night.

It happened at the Pecan Park Apartments off Westwood near Lane Drive around 11pm.

Firefighters say the flames quickly spread from a downstairs kitchen through four units, forcing them to pull two alarms on it. The fire knocked out power to the building. A total of 18 families have been displaced.

There was no report of any injuries.
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Parents of murdered children pray for CT families

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- While most parents hope what happened at Sandy Hook never happens to them, the sad reality is there are parents all over our area whose children have been murdered. They've created a support network that helps them cope.

We were with parents who look forward to the third Tuesday of every month, when they know they'll be among friends who truly know what they've been through. But on this Tuesday night, their hearts ached even more.

In the basement of Grace United Methodist in the Heights, there's a group no one wants to join. But it's also one everyone is grateful exists.

"The holidays are some of the roughest times," mother Carolyn Hardin said.

Parents of murdered children met Tuesday night for their monthly meeting, not only carrying their pain of losing a child but also weighted down with more grief.

"It's been almost 15 years, I still hurt everyday of my life," Hardin said.

"It's like reliving it again, except my son was 23, and these poor innocent babies were just babies, they were angels," mother Maria Castro said.

Sure the circumstances are worlds apart. But they all can relate.

"I think about my son and I know what the mothers and fathers are going through," Hardin said.

Each mother and father here shared their story and also said a few words about the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary, starting with a prayer.

Because for most here, like Hardin, if she could be there she would.

"I'd like to just be able to hold them and tell them we're here for you," she said.

There is a chapter of Parents of Murdered Children in New York, but it's near Newtown. Parents here hope families in Connecticut will take advantage of it.

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

local, jessica willey

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Some families changing Mexico holiday travel plans due to cartel violence

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The holidays are a time for families to come together, but when your loved ones live south of the border it can give you pause. With drug-related violence still a major concern, some families are changing their plans.

At the Mexican Consulate in Houston, the lines are always long; and during the holidays, even more so, with people going home to visit their families.

"They spend Christmas there and also New Years is a very important date for Mexicans," said Fernanda Villanueva with the Mexican Consulate.

The problem is getting there safely for those who travel by car. Cartel violence is ongoing and the military has been sent in to some areas after Mexican police officers were killed this month. The consulate provides a list of travel safety recommendations to those going home. Even so, Eddie Aragon says there's still a risk and fewer people are willing to take it.

"There aren't as many vehicles as there used to be and the other thing, the place where you're going, not as many of them; not half of the vehicles that used to," Aragon said.

Carmen Aguillar is one of those who's decided to let someone else do the driving after a bad experience across the border.

"I think it's better and more sure to travel by bus," said Aguillar.

Apparently more people are. It's a busy time of year for bus companies that serve cities in Mexico. It's the way this cab driver travels home.

"I take a bus. I don't take no money, no nothing," said Alfonso Vasquez.

The Mexican Consulate recommends not taking a lot of presents if traveling as that might attract unwanted attention and invite problems. And that, says Vasquez, is "pretty sad, I hope soon it gets better."

The consulate says there will be additional federal police on duty at checkpoints to assure travelers.

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Families of club shooting victims speak out

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Families are heartbroken and left searching for answers after a gunman fires into a crowd outside a northeast Houston night club. Now police are on the hunt for a very dangerous man.

We're learning a lot more about the three men whose lives were taken during a shooting early Sunday morning. It happened during an argument outside Club I.C.U. in the 9500 block of Mesa Drive near Rinn. The victims were husbands and fathers and their families are devastated.

Witnesses say the gunman is a regular patron here, and the victim's families are hoping someone turns in that man soon.

Huddled around loved ones, the families of three fathers are grieving right now. All are demanding answers about a deadly shooting outside this northeast side club called I.C.U.

"Now losing a son, I know what a mother goes through. It's a pain that's indescribable," Debra Steward said.

Steward's 22-year-old son Curtis was killed outside club I.C.U. early Sunday morning. Gilbert Kibble, 38, and 26-year-old Felipe Castillo also were killed.

"To know him is to love him. Everybody loved to be around him. He will truly be missed," said Castillo's wife, Zakia Jenkins.

The men were attending a birthday party. Eyewitnesses say there was some commotion when women from another party began arguing over music. And as the club let out around 2am, they say that's when a male patron fired numerous shots into the crowd. The gunshots also injured three women.

"We didn't expect to go outside and all this happened, and we lose three people out of our family at one time really," said Kibble's sister, Yvette McNeal.

And with the gunman still on the run, the victims' families say they are hoping someone turns him in soon.

"If you can kill, or if you can shoot six people, and know you killed three of those six, you can kill again," Steward said.

Witnesses at the club describe the gunman as a man in his 40's.

Anyone with information about the shooter is encouraged to call Houston police or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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local, demond fernandez

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Several families displaced after 2-alarm apartment fire

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A two-alarm apartment fire in west Houston displaced several families Saturday.

The fire broke out around 1pm in the laundry room at Long Point Plaza Apartments in the 1700 block of Woodvine at Jalna.

The Houston Fire Department was able to extinguish the flames, but the damage left at least eight families without a home. Many of them, like Enrique Rodriguez and his wife, lost all of their belongings in the blaze.

"We all were inside the apartment when we saw the fire. We all got out," Rodriguez said. "Now we just lost everything. We had everything in there, so I don't know what's going to happen."

Fire officials believe the blaze started in the laundry room. It quickly ripped through eight units at the complex.

"The fire extended very quickly once it reached the attic," HFD Deputy Fire Chief Terry Stone said.

According to Stone, firefighters were able to save another apartment building sitting just a few feet away.

Nearby residents told us this is not the first time a fire has started in that laundry room.

"It's the third time it goes on, a fire in that room," one neighbor said.

"Oh, they've had this issue forever," another told us.

Fire officials said this part of the city has kept firefighters busy recently.

"I do know that we've had several fires in this end of town on the west side recently where we've had Laundromat fires that have extended into the apartments," Stone said.

No one was injured in Saturday's fire. The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

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Church provides gifts to less fortunate families

Enterprise Baptist Church in Bay City gave away thousands of toys on Christmas

  BAY CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Some families who couldn't afford to put any presents under the tree this Christmas picked up free gifts in Bay City.

Enterprise Baptist Church says it collected 3,000 toy donations.

Families in Matagorda County were invited to drop by the church and pick up a toy for children who might not otherwise get a gift this Christmas.

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