Year later, tri-county wildfire victims make long strides

MAGNOLIA, TX (KTRK) -- At this time last year, we first introduced you to the Barr family. Despite losing nearly everything in the wildfires of 2011, the husband and wife adopted a family to help this Christmas. For them, many things have changed since last year, but one thing remains the same.

When we met Kay and Rocky Barr last Christmas, they were homeless.

"I still have hope that we'll do Christmas 2012," Kay told Eyewitness News then. "I need all the prayers that we can get."

Their house was ravaged by the tri-county fires. Still, they managed to make Christmas magical, not just for each other but for another family in the same position.

"I just want joy and happiness," Kay said.

Twelve months later, Kay Barr's Christmas prayers were answered.

"We finished one bedroom and one bathroom and then we moved in," Rocky said.

Her husband Rocky -- with help from family, friends and strangers -- has finished the outside of their new home.

"We're probably at 75 percent complete," he said.

And Kay will spend Christmas, with a house full of family -- not in a trailer or a motel -- but right where she belongs.

The last year hasn't come and gone without challenge -- cancer, deaths in the family and Rocky's own illness.

"After our interview last year, he had a double back-to-back stroke," Kay said. "So, this year has been two steps forward and 10 backwards a couple of times, but we persevere, just keep going."

Even with life still in flux, the Barrs never stopped giving. They adopted another family this Christmas.

"There was a lot of people who helped us and I know how appreciative I was, so I just, we need to give back too," Kay said.

We toured the Barrs' new digs.

"It's a big sense of accomplishment, when we drive up the road and there's our house, we're almost home," Rocky said.

And while there is a long road of rebuilding ahead, day by day they're getting there.

"My Christmas ornament there, "believe," it can happen. If you dream it, you can make it happen. It will all come together," Kay said.

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

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Police: Possibly more victims of accused child predator

Duane Parker, 49, of Louisiana, was arrested in Webster last month after a lengthy investigation.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators believe there could be more victims of an accused child predator recently arrested.

Duane Charles Parker, of Louisiana, was arrested in Webster last month after a lengthy investigation. Police say Parker, 49, assaulted his own daughter and solicited numerous young girls online.

Through his business 1-800-CRAWFISH, also known as Crawfish Unlimited, Parker traveled frequently between Louisiana and southeast Texas.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about additional victims to call the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable's Office at 281-577-8985.

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Helicopter crash victims in NE Harris Co. identified

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a deadly helicopter crash in northeast Harris County yesterday afternoon that killed two people.

The crash happened a little before 4pm in the 7800 block of Miller Road #3.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the helicopter is operated by Helicopter Services, Inc. out of Hooks Airport, and it's believed it was on a photography flight.

The pilot was identified as 40-year-old Christopher Yeager and his passenger as 60-year-old Joyce Ates.

Today, investigators will be back out on the scene to try to determine why the chopper crashed.

"We will do a complete wreckage examination and we will probably remove the wreckage," NTSB investigator Tom Latson said.

Good Samaritans with whom we spoke yesterday say they were traveling on Highway 90 when they saw the chopper circling.

"I was coming down Highway 90 and I saw a (helicopter) spinning out of control," said Jose Escamilla, one of several people who tried to rescue the victims. "And at that moment, we knew it was going to crash. We pulled over."

Eyewitnesses say the helicopter was circling unusually low around Beltway 8 and Highway 90. It crashed on the property of Oilfield Pipeline Company. A small group of men parked their cars and crawled under the fence, joining workers at the business who were trying to rescue the victims in the helicopter.

Unfortunately, they say the fire that damaged the aircraft was just too much to handle. But their efforts continued even when they knew those onboard didn't make it.

"When I looked at them, I knew they were gone," said Escamilla. "I was trying to save the bodies from being burned for the families. I would want someone to do that for me."

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Yeagar and Ates died on impact. The chopper, a Robinson 22B, had left Hooks Airport and refueled in Baytown just before crashing.

Eyewitnesses believe the pilot was doing everything he could to avoid hitting the highway.

"It's lucky that it didn't on the highway. It landed in the private pipeyard. Actually, it didn't damage anything other than the helicopter itself," DPS trooper John Sampa said.

Eyewitness News reached out to Helicopter Services, Inc. but a woman who works there hung up on us.

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Runners raise funds for veterans, honor 9/11 victims

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Thousands of area runners raised money Saturday for veterans and honored victims of the September 11 attacks.

About 3,000 runners took part in the Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run at Ellington Airport. This year's theme was "Honor the Fallen by Challenging the Living."

In addition to Houston, the run was held in Iraq, Afghanistan and 21 states across the U.S.

The Travis Manion Foundation works with veterans and the families of fallen service members. The foundation was named for U.S. Marines First Lieutenant Travis Manion who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

"It's grown into this national organization that's able to honor help and serve our veterans first responders and military community," James Brobyn, executive director, said.

Organizers of the event say the primary goal is to pay tribute to the thousands who were killed that day and the millions of men and women who have helped keep America safe in the 11 years that have followed -- a group that includes military personnel, police officers and firefighters.

"We are proud to be involved with this terrific event," Ellington General Manager Brian Rinehart said. "Ellington Airport already has a strong working relationship with the U.S. military and the Houston Police and Fire departments, so it makes perfect sense for us to be involved."

Half the proceeds from the local run go to the Travis Manion Foundation. The other half will be split between Assist the Officer, which helps Houston officers injured in the line of duty, and Team Red, White and Blue, which supports wounded veterans.

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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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Pet victims of Hurricane Isaac come to Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- For days we've been showing you the destruction from Isaac and how people's lives have been changed. But it's not just humans who have been displaced and Houston's SPCA is lending a hand.

Shane and Trixie are among the dogs that have arrived at Houston's SPCA from the St. Bernard Parish animal control facility. It's the second time this week that the SPCA has stepped in to help. In the first batch there were 60 animals. On Friday, they received another 22 cats and seven dogs.

Meera Naandal with the Houston SPCA said, "They needed our assistance because of the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac."

Local officials are also expecting to receive about 50 animals from Mississippi, although the arrival date is not yet known.

The more than 100 animals finding sanctuary in Houston will be available for adoption. In fact, many of the pets from the first wave to arrive have already found loving homes. Some of the more recent arrivals will be getting spay or neuter surgery before they can move into a new home.

"We will start getting these guys out on the adoption floor as soon as possible," Naandal said. "We have lots of very friendly cats from Louisiana. They are up for adoption too."

For more information about adoption procedures, visit HoustonSPCA.org.

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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.

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Missouri City sisters among victims of Nigeria plane crash

Josephine and Jennifer Onita of Missouri City were reportedly on the plane that crashed in Nigeria over the weekend.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two sisters from Missouri City are among those killed in a plane crash in Nigeria.

The Dana Air flight went down in Lagos Sunday, killing all 153 people on board.

We've learned that Josephine and Jennifer Onita were on the plane. They'd been in Nigeria for a wedding. Josephine graduated from the University of North Texas and Jennifer was a graduate of Texas Tech.

Right now, investigators are trying to determine what caused the plane to crash. Records show the jet involved in the crash suffered a bird strike two years ago and lost engine power.

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Police: Man targeting victims on Craigslist

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A warning from police about a tech-savvy serial robber -- a man believed to be connected to a series of thefts. In each case, he targets his victims by finding them first on the popular website Craigslist.

The victims were lured to the same areas in the 4th Ward, downtown and Montrose. Police say it appears the thieves are interested in folks with iPhones. Now they're hoping a new composite sketch can help lead them to one of the major suspects.

Police say the man in the composite sketch is one of the players in a tech-savvy crime ring that's been targeting victims through online classifieds like Craigslist.

Houston Police Officer Michael Ybanez explained, "What happens is these victims are responding to these ads which are simply a ruse to get them to a certain part of town in order to rob them."

Detectives say the alleged crook has been going after people who've been trying to buy or sell iPhones, iPads and similar electronics.

"When they respond to the location given by the individual on the phone, they are ultimately robbed of their money, or their articles," Officer Ybanez said.

The most recent robbery happened in a parking lot in the 200 block of West Gray four weeks ago. It's where police say a young woman made arrangements to sell the unknown man her iPhone.

"However, instead of paying her the amount that was promised he simply reached in her vehicle and stole her phone and disappeared on foot into the surrounding neighborhood," Officer Ybanez said.

Investigators have been tracking about 20 similar robberies with the same MO since 2010. In each case, Officer Ybanez says the victims were lured to areas in the 4th Ward near Midtown or downtown.

He said, "I would say anytime a robbery happens, that there's a danger element involved and you need to be concerned for your personal safety."

Police believe the man in the sketch is well known in the area. The victims describe him as early to mid-20s, with a slim build and a pronounced gap in his teeth.

Anyone with information about the man in that sketch is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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High-tech burglars used Internet to find victims

  LEAGUE CITY, TX (KTRK) -- One man was in jail Saturday and two others were at large for their alleged connection to a series of burglaries in League City's Magnolia Creek subdivision.

Alton Anjie Simmons III, 56, of Houston, was charged with three counts of burglary. Bond was set at $750,000 and then denied from a parole board warrant, Galveston County Jail records state.

Police said Simmons and his partners are accused of stealing mostly electronics and jewelry, but it's the way they targeted their victims that makes them stand out.

According to investigators, they retrieved phone numbers from public databases and used other online resources to find areas that physically matched the types of locations they preferred to hit.

No other details were released, but police did say there was no tie to Facebook.

Warrants have been issued for 20-year-old Rebecca Droher and 33-year-old Jason Carswell.

Droher is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity with bond set at $40,000.

Bond for Carswell was set at $160,000 on four counts of burglary.

Officials said they were able to recover some of the stolen property. Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call League City police at 281-332-2566.

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Victim's family sues strip club for allegedly over-serving drunk driver

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Too drunk to walk, but this man gets in a vehicle, drives away, and kills a teenage girl. Now the victim's family says the strip club he left that night should share the blame.

The drunk driver in the case has been convicted and is being punished. But an attorney for the family of the victim says the business he visited that night should also pay.

The victim's family is suing Legs Cabaret, the strip club which they say over-served alcohol to a patron who then drove drunk, and killed a beautiful young woman who had her whole life ahead of her.

Jasmine Smith, 18, was riding home with a friend last April on the Gulf Freeway when the vehicle she was in was rear-ended. It slammed into the guard rail and rolled. She was ejected. She died eight days later.

Loren Zoellers was convicted earlier this month of intoxication manslaughter, and given probation and 120 days in jail.

Now Smith's family is suing the bartender and the strip club that supplied his alcohol before the wreck.

"The bar is who holds the responsibility," said plaintiff's attorney, Will Womble.

He gave us this video which he says is from inside Legs Cabaret, showing Zoeller allegedly being served mixed drinks repeatedly over the course of nearly five hours before the wreck.

"What you see on the video is drink after drink, pour after pour, Mr. Zoellers is being served a mixed beverage -- seven different times," said Womble.

He says you can see what appears to be Zoellers at one point standing at the bar, unsteady. As he leaves at 2am, Zoellers walks out the front door and stops to shake the hand of a bouncer, staggering then across the parking lot where he falls and rolls across the grass before getting into his truck. Zoellers gets in the vehicle and backs into a building before driving off without turning his headlights on.

"He has not clue what is going on at this point. He is a clear danger to himself and others. He should have never gotten as far as he did," Womble said.

The wreck that killed Jasmine Smith happened just 19 minutes later.

Zoellers' blood alcohol level was measured at .20 -- nearly three times the legal limit.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving says this case highlights a problem with enforcement of laws that govern businesses that serve alcohol.

We were not able to find the bartender and an attorney for Legs Cabaret has not returned our calls for comment.

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Community holds vigil for victims of family murder-suicide in Bay City

  BAY CITY, TX (KTRK) -- The community of Bay City came together on Wednesday in a big way for the family devastated by last week's tragic shootings. A father killed his four young children, shot his wife, and then killed himself. The mother, Laura Gonzalez, is the only survivor, and friends and neighbors are doing what they can to now help her.

On this one week anniversary, we found a city in the depths of grief and vowing to not forget. And we've received those 911 recordings of those frantic calls for help that deadly day.

Hundreds of co-workers, neighbors, strangers trying to comprehend the incomprehensible gathered Wednesday night for a vigil at the Matagorda County Courthouse on 7th Street.

"For the last seven days, I've been playing back the events, the emotions, the thoughts, the confusion, the prayers from last Wednesday night," Bay City Mayor Mark Bricker said.

Why would a father kill his four children, and was there anything the community of Bay City could have done?

"It's really hurt everybody in a way that we can't explain. It's just hard to explain," said Yolanda Johnson, who taught two of the children.

Five-year-old Airelle Medina was a classmate with one.

"We do play outside together and we make lots of friends forever, all day long," she said.

Her mother, like so many others, struggles to explain the tragedy.

"It's breaking everybody's heart right now. We're all trying to come together with this," said Jessica Medina.

Earlier in the day, donations were crumpled into a giant jar. Neighbors in Bay City have been rallying by donating money to Laura Gonzalez. She is the sole survivor of last week's horrific shootings in Bay City. Police say Jose Avila shot and killed his four children, his wife Laura, and then fatally shot himself. For many neighbors, they still can't talk about it.

When we asked one neighbor why this is so important to her, Brenda Broussard replied, "Because so much of this happens every day and you don't get to see it and it was here in Bay City and it touched me."

Gonzalez worked at Ricardo's restaurant. Her co-workers remember a woman who used to come to work bruised and scared. Gina Aguilar says she asked repeatedly to help Gonzalez.

"We would tell her she needed to leave that situation and tell her we'd help, but like most women who are abused they are afraid to go off on their own," said Aguilar.

The restaurant wanted to sell 200 plates to raise money, and so far, over 600 plates have been sold.

"People have called from Louisiana, Tennessee, California, with credit card numbers wanting to donate to her. They can't come to BBQ, but want to donate money," Aguilar said.

The front yard of the home where the shootings happened also is covered with mementos. It was on November 30 when the shootings happened. Just as neighborhood children were coming home from school, the first 911 calls were made by those children who saw the horror and called for help.

"We need an officer right now. There is this man shooting at this lady. We need a cop," said the caller says in the recording. "We have babies around here. There are babies in the car and he won't give them to the mom."

Ten days before the shootings, Bay City police say Laura Gonzales called 9-1-1, telling the dispatcher she had been hit by her husband. You can hear children in the background.

"I don't know where to go, I don't have a car, I don't have nothing ... I don't know what to do," she told the dispatcher.

A fund has been established for the mother and children of this tragedy. The fund has been setup at Wells Fargo Bank in Bay City Texas under the name of Bay City Tragedy Benefit. Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund may do so by contacting Michael Gonzales at 979-241-3736.

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Victim's family files lawsuit over fatal wreck

The family of a husband and father who was struck and killed by a van is suing the driver of that van for negligence

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The family of a husband and father who was struck and killed by a van is suing the driver of that van for negligence.

Adan Martinez was working in a construction zone on the North Freeway last month when the van swerved and hit him. According to the lawsuit filed in Houston Tuesday, the driver, Clarence Bryant, was speeding and missed an exit.

Bryant was driving the van for his employer, MP Instrument Company.

The lawsuit also blames the company for failing to properly train Bryant in vehicle safety.

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Toy drive held for victims of violent crime

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Children affected by violent crime are taking home stuffed animals thanks to the dream of a teenager.

Houston police officers collected 2,500 toys at the Lacrosse Classic in west Houston this weekend.

The toy drive was conceived two years ago by Julia Briggs, a 13-year-old who wanted to comfort children during a traumatic time.

Briggs died of cancer a short time later, but her friends and family took up the cause in her memory.

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Family of drowning victims sues Texas City

TEXAS CITY, TX (KTRK) -- With summer in full effect, the Texas City Dike is a popular place to get some sun and cool down. But one day after the drowning of a five-year-old boy there, Texas City is being sued. The lawsuit claims the city knows the beach is dangerous, and even deadly, but is doing nothing about it.

The Suarez family filed the lawsuit on Thursday. The city says it added a sign to the entrance of the Texas City Dike, but it came after the family's tragedy. Now the family's attorney says a sign isn't enough. "Words can't describe what they've been going through," said Jimmy Doan, the family's attorney. It was an unbearable loss for the Suarez family last fall when they arrived at the Texas City Dike for a family outing. Nine-year-old twins Alexandra and Samantha went into the water and immediately got into trouble. Their father Hector drowned while trying to save them. The family says there were no signs or warning of the dangers. "The city's contention is well the parents should have watched, they should have had life jackets. Every parent wants to protect their child, but sometimes the dangers are not obvious," Doan said. "And in Texas City, when people go to the Texas City Dike, they're not aware of how dangerous this beach is." The dike had just reopened following two years of Hurricane Ike repairs. The city says signs had not been posted but were added to the entrance of the dike after the Suarez drownings. "I don't think that it's something that means that no one else could ever use the ocean because there's been a tragedy. I'm very sorry for the family, but I really don't think there's any responsibility for the city because it's an inherently dangerous and case law says that oceans are inherently dangerous,"Texas City Attorney Carla Cotropia said. Damage from the hurricane can still be seen at the dike. Attorneys for the Suarez family say they believe conditions there changed once it reopened but the city disputes their claim. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Houston woman leads charge to help tornado victims

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- One Houston woman has a connection to the tragedy in Joplin, and is rallying to get donations to the devastated city.

Lori Freese is the publisher of the online magazine Dish Houston. She was in the town a few weeks ago at a vigil for her grandmother. Her grandmother was in the hospital at the time of the tornado, but was luckily spared from any injuries or damage. It took Freese more than four hours to know her grandmother was safe. "You don't know if her building is OK," said Freese. "You don't know if she's OK. You don't know if she's scared, because she had been having heart episodes because she had been having heart episodes every time she got scared."

Freese is hoping to gather donations of clothing, diapers, and other necessary materials. You can drop off those locations at both Katz's Deli locations on Westheimer and in The Woodlands.

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Bullying victim's parents file lawsuit against Cy-Fair ISD

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The parents of a boy who killed himself over bullying has filed a lawsuit against the Cy-Fair Independent School District.

The lawsuit filed by Asher Brown's parents claimed the 13-year-old killed himself in September after repeated bullying at Hamilton Middle School. The suit accuses Cy-Fair ISD and the school of failing to protect Brown and not punishing teachers or students who bully students. The lawsuit also says the school destroyed evidence that shows Brown's father went to the school to discuss the bullying. The suit also requests "that the school adopt a policy known as Asher's Rule whereby students will be able to report issues of bullying and harassment confidentially; that the school provide a marker designating Asher's Place in the school library, where books and other materials would be made available to students dealing with bullying harassment." We called the school district for comment, but they have not returned our call. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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