Missouri City man convicted of illegal possession of bald eagle

  VICTORIA, TX (KTRK) -- Sam Mathew, 53, of Missouri City, has been convicted of illegally possessing a bald eagle, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced. Mathew was indicted in May of this year for one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

Prosecutors say there was an active bald eagle nest located on Mathew's property and he had been planning to capture a young eagle for the purposed of training it in falconry. Mathew testified in his defense and claimed the bird was out of its nest and on a tree limb, and that he had instructed two ranch hands to remove it.

However, testimony indicated the bird was actually still in its nest when they were about to capture it. The eagle apparently got scared and fell out of the tree at that time and Mathew and one of the ranch hands caught it.

US Fish and Wildlife Service officials learned of the eagle and that the nest housing it had apparently been disturbed and went to the residence. Upon arrival, they noticed there were fresh tire tracks around the tree and several broken branches as well as a set of tree climbing gear with ropes.

The MBTA does allow the possession of nongame birds, but only if they are injured, sick or orphaned and if they are immediately transported to be rehabilitated. Mathew claimed he thought the bird was injured and was rescuing it to take it to a rehabilitator. The jury disagreed and found him guilty as charged. The jury returned its verdict late Tuesday after two days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberations.

Mathew was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing hearing to be held in February 2013. At that time, he faces up to six months in federal prison and a maximum $15,000 fine.

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Small plane makes emergency landing in Missouri City

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- A small plane made an emergency landing Saturday in Fort Bend County.

It happened around 2:30pm. The plane was able to land in a cow pasture behind Ridge Point High School on Waters Lake Boulevard in Missouri City.

According to officials, the 72-year-old female pilot was not injured and there was no damage to the plane.

It's unclear why she was forced to land.

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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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Missouri City boy wins National Geography Bee

National Geographic Bee host Alex Trebek stands with National Geographic Bee champion Rahul Nagvekar, 14, from Quail Valley Middle School in Missouri City, Texas, Thursday, May 24, 2012, in Washington, . (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

  WASHINGTON -- A first-time national geography bee contender from Texas has won the annual competition in Washington.

Fourteen-year-old Rahul Nagvekar, of Missouri City, Texas, won National Geographic Bee on Thursday. He will receive a $25,000 scholarship.

Thirteen-year-old Vansh Jain, of Minocqua, Wis., came in second, and will take home a $15,000 scholarship. The third-place winner, 13-year-old Varun Mahadevan of California, wins a $10,000 scholarship.

The competition began with about 4 million students in schools across the country this year.

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Suspect sought in Missouri City bank robbery

SkyEye 13 HD was over the scene after a bank in Missouri City was robbed at gunpoint on Thursday

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- A bank in Missouri City was robbed at gunpoint on Thursday.

It happened at the Unity National Bank on Lexington and Texas Parkway at around 10am this morning. Missouri City police say a man with a bandana covering most of his face walked up to a teller, pointed a gun and demanded money.

The teller gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash and he fled in an older blue Chevy Astrovan.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Missing Missouri City woman found safe

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- The search for a developmentally disabled Missouri City woman is over. Christina Mordente, 26, was located safe Monday evening by police.

According to Missouri City police, a call came in at around 6:30pm about a person who appeared to be lost in the 2600 block of Dawn Starr. An officer who was in the area responded and was able to determine the woman was Mordente, who had been missing since Sunday.

Her family tells us Mordente has the mental capacity of a young teenager. She suffers from Aspberger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Her mental abilities are similar to a 13-year-old. They say she wandered away from her family's home in the 1600 block of Thornbrook Drive Sunday evening. That's about a mile and a half from where she was found.

When found, Mordente was reported to be in good health. She was taken to the Missouri City Police Department, where she was fed and given something to drink.

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Edible trail in Missouri City almost always in bloom

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- We've all seen nature trails, but how about a nature trail that offers treats? An edible arbor trail in Missouri City does that, offering a taste of nature.

The edible arbor trail is along the Oyster Creek Trail in Missouri City. The edible trail has been around for about two years, so it's still growing, but species of plants and trees such as plums, mulberries and figs are hearty and drought resistant. They've survived and are growing.

"With minimal work as far as irrigation and pest control, we don't spray for insects and things like that," said Paul Wierzbicki, a forester with Missouri City. "We're not going to spend a lot of time out here trying to produce fruit. We're gonna let them do it on their own in their own time."

The eight different species are drought resistant and relatively pest-free. Even better, through volunteers, grants and corporate donations, the edible arbor trail hasn't cost taxpayers one cent.

The blooms are staggered, so something's blooming most of the year. Right now, it's the pomegranates.

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4-alarm fire damages Missouri City home

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- A large house in Missouri City is seriously damaged after a four-alarm fire.

Flames broke out Saturday afternoon off Waterside and Shoreline Dr.

Firefighters had to use a ladder to get to the flames on the roof. The blaze went four alarms before it was extinguished.

No injuries were reported in the fire, and there is no word on the cause.

ABC13 viewers Larry Morrow and Bruce Parsons sent us cell phone videos of the blaze. If you see news happening, take photos or video and upload them to iWitness.abc13.com or send via email to News@abc13.com. You can also send them using the free ABC13 iPhone app.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Missouri City man sentenced for gang-related shooting

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- A Missouri City man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison after being convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity.

Deandre Ashton Ward, 21, was sentenced to 21 years behind bars on Monday. According to Assistant Fort Bend County District Attorney Celena Vinson, rival gangs "FAB" (Forever About Bread) and "100 Clicks" were involved in an altercation at an Elkins High School football game in August of 2008.

After the game, shots were fired towards members of the FAB gang at a Missouri City McDonalds. After that shooting, Ward and other FAB members reportedly drove to a gas station on Highway 6 in Missouri City and confronted two people they believed to be members of 100 Click gang. Investigators say words were exchanged and as the victims left the gas station in their car, Ward pulled out a gun and started firing at them.

Ward and the others fled the scene in a vehicle, but were spotted an hour later by officers. They searched the vehicle and found two firearms, including one next to Ward. Forensic tests showed the gun next to Ward was the one used in the shooting.

At trial, Ward admitted being the shooter.

According to the Ft. Bend County DA's office, Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity enhances punishment for certain crimes when they are gang-related.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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