Cleaning up neighborhood dumping ground

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A northeast Houston neighborhood has been turned into a complete dumping ground, with trash, needles, old couches and more tossed in their backyards. And these residents are sick of it.

They take pride in their neighborhood, but can only sit back and watch when others constantly treat it as a dump. Residents say it's been happening for years along Bretshire near Parker.

"On a scale of one to 10, we're 11," said Arnold Larkins, president of the Fontaine Scenic Woods Civic Club. "We're 11 with frustration."

The frustration is over piles and piles of trash illegally dumped along Bretshire Street in northeast Houston -- a problem plaguing the Fountaine Scenic Woods neighborhood for years.

"They've had boats out here before, old couches," one resident said.

Larkins said, "We've had as much as old cars dumped here."

And the fury from these eyesores, fueled by phone calls from fed up residents, has spilled over to Houston cicy council member Jerry Davis, who is now taking these messy matters into his own hands -- literally.

Davis swapped his loafers for work boots to help city crews and volunteers clean up illegal dumping sites in his district. Davis says enough is enough. Residents say it's time for permanent change.

Davis said, "We've got to come together from the government side, city side, as well as the constituents in this area to come together to begin to police this to be able to understand why this is problematic."

"We've battled this a long time but this time hopefully we'll find a remedy and we can come up with something that can make the community a little bit more livable," Larkins said.
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Rash of burglaries, theft in one north Harris County neighborhood

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There is concern from neighbors in one north Harris County community who are dealing with a big spike in burglaries.

There have been nearly two dozen homes broken into in just the past month in the Northridge Park area, nestled between I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road near Bush Intercontinental Airport.

In this neighborhood, people work hard and generally feel safe, especially with patrol unit cars parked in driveways.

"Sheriff stays there, HPD officer stays there," said one neighbor.

But lately, that's changed.

"It was just a surreal feeling to come into your house knowing someone had rummaged through there," said crime victim Greg Okuhara.

Last week, Okuhara came home from work to find someone kicked open his front door, ransacked his bedroom and stole his stuff.

"Some computers, Xbox gaming system, golf clubs and some hockey jerseys," said Okuhara.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office crime report, he is not alone. In the last 30 days, there have been 22 home burglaries within the 77073 zip code.

"I didn't think it was that high, but I knew it was pretty, pretty bad," said neighbor Roy Jackson. "Then when I saw it was kicked in a couple doors from my house I figured yes; that's why I'm checking on my stuff right now."

Forcing folks like Jackson to leave work twice a day, just to check on his house. It's a luxury most here can't afford, but Jackson's neighbors have peace of mind knowing someone is looking out for them.

"When your sense of security is violated like that, it's unfortunate," said Okuhara.

Besides the burglaries, there have been 32 thefts from cars in the last month.

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

local, sonia azad

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Neighborhood on lockdown in search for illegal immigrants

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A neighborhood in north Houston is on lockdown as police search for illegal immigrants.

Police tell us they were looking for a vehicle involved in a robbery when they spotted an a pickup truck driving suspiciously around East Tidwell near Bauman.

Officers ran the plates and say the truck came back as stolen. Investigators say when they tried to pull the pickup over several people got out and started running away.

Authorities say they are not sure exactly how many were inside but tell us they do have 11 suspects in custody.

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

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

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Houston Neighborhood Guide for Your New Home

Chicken fight brewing in Spring neighborhood

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A showdown in one Spring neighborhood is ruffling a lot of feathers. It's a dispute over chickens and whether one man has the right to keep them in his backyard.

For Joshua Mouzakis, the 25 to 30 chickens and five roosters he's raising in the backyard of his Spring home are more than just a food source for his family; he calls them pets.

"They've all been raised by my daughter over here, at the other coop over there. Since they've been chicks, they've been running around with her, they all run to here and flock to her," said Mouzakis.

He says he's had poultry at his home for years with no problems until just recently when he was contacted by the Harris County Attorney's office after a neighbor complained about the noise and the smell.

"The neighbors behind me here don't like the roosters crowing, and I understand that and I offered to put up a privacy wall in the back here at my expense, at no expense to them at all, and that was unacceptable for them," Mouzakis said.

The County Attorney's office says Mouzakis is violating his neighborhood deed restriction.

"It says no obnoxious or offensive activities shall be carried on or upon any part of this track," said Randy Smidt with the Harris Co. Attorney's office. "We're really talking about the smells and the noises and those become a nuisance to those who complain about them."

In addition, the county says the deed restriction prohibits breeding.

"There was hens, there was babies, there was four roosters and they were all together, and so from our perspective, it's hard to believe they are not being bred," said Smidt.

Mouzakis insists he is trying to be a good neighbor and believes he's not in violation by having what he calls his family pets around. But he is willing to comply with the county's demands.

The county is asking Mouzakis to get rid of all the roosters to avoid the noise and he must also get rid of most of the chickens. They say, however, that he can still have some chickens as pets for the family.

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

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Neighborhood seeking to stop speeders hits snag

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Neighbors in one southeast side subdivision say they've had it with speeders and they want drivers to slow down on their streets.

They say some drivers have lost control, tearing down the roads and damaging property. But their plans to get road humps on some of their streets has hit a snag.

It's happening off Glenloch near Bellfort in the historical neighborhood of Glenloch Valley. But along with all the history is coming a lot of traffic, with cars speeding up and down without anything to stop them.

There are two sides of Glenloch Drive, one with speed bumps that have been there for years, and on the other side of Bellfort, there's another that's speed-bump free. It has the speeding cars to prove it. And then there's the property damage.

"We looked out the window and saw our tree scattered all over the front lawn," homeowner Lorena Gomez said.

On Monday, the Gomez family lost driveway landscaping to a speeding car that overshot the curve in front of their home, but they've seen worse.

"Our neighbor next door got crashed in all the way into his living room," she said.

These are a few of the mishaps in the past year: In one a car ran into a house, taking out windows and brick siding. A $40,000 loss was reported at another house. And in the past couple of months, a car took out a city street light pole.

All happened on the same stretch of Glenloch. Speeding cars cut through traffic, homeowners believe, to an apartment complex at the end of the street.

The residents petitioned the city for speed bumps. They thought the problem was solved but things changed.

"They were telling us basically it was funding is everything that we've been told; everything we've understood was that it was basically related to funding," homeowner and realtor Robert Searcy said.

Funding is always a problem, but in this case, the city of Houston Public Works Department says it's because so many neighborhoods want speed bumps and Glenloch Drive is two years down the list.

"There are other communities in the city of Houston that are farther along in the process than this community is," Public Works spokesman Alvin Wright said.

That leaves Glenloch Drive and the Gomez family for now just as we found them, nervous about being in their front yard, even their home.

"You hear it all the time on the news that cars crash into people's houses while they're there and that's our number one concern," homeowner Andreas Gomez said.

The Gomez family is replacing the tree that was taken out on Monday, but they're also considering moving in some very large landscape to protect their yard and family.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Fourth house struck by car in NW Houston neighborhood

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Homeowners in a northwest Houston neighborhood are fed up. They say the curve they live on is dangerous, and the latest example they're using is the crumbling home on the corner of their street. It was hit by a car early Friday morning, and this isn't the first time.

Neighbors say it's only a matter of time before someone is killed, and they say something needs to be done to warn drivers. The concern centers around a sudden turn in the road along Green Lawn Drive and Long Leaf.

The speed limit on the street is 30mph, but you may not know because there aren't any signs on the street. Without proper signs, people who live there say, this will continue to be a problem.

"I looked at it, and there was no question what had happened," homeowner Bob Liska said.

Liska says he didn't need police to tell him what happened at his home. When he woke up and saw it, he already knew. But he did have one question.

"How they were able to keep the car running to back it up and pull out?" he wonders.

Around 1:30am Friday, someone crashed into the side of Liska's house. He and wife, Sue, are lucky.

"Our bedroom's on the other side of the house; I use a device when I sleep so it sort of numbs the noise," Bob Liska said.

So, if he didn't hear it, how did he know what happened? Well, it's history repeated there, and at neighbor Barbara Harrison's house.

"Hit the side, took out some plants, hit the side of my house," Harrison said.

And it also happened at the home of Nic Rodriguez.

"We've gone through several mailboxes," Rodriguez said.

All these neighbors call their street a speedway, a short-cut between West Little York and Antoine. They say traffic has gotten worse in the last two years, and on Friday afternoon, our cameras even caught drivers zipping around the corner.

"How long is the city going to just let this go on before someone is really seriously injured?" Sue Liska said.

So far, the Liskas say pleas for help from the city have been ignored. Their plan now is to get speed bumps in here, and fast.

We called Houston City Councilwoman Helena Brown's office, and within hours, her chief adviser William Park was out there to talk to the Liskas and get video of the scene. He even says he will recommend speed bumps and road signs.

"Firsthand, while I was standing out here, a school bus sped by, it didn't even slow down -- unbelievable. And I was gonna park right out there, I'm glad I didn't," Park said.

Meanwhile, police say they have no description of the car or driver in this case.

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

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Man shot to death in quiet northwest neighborhood

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities are investigating a homicide in northwest Harris County.

According to investigators with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, a man was shot in the 18000 block of Widcombe near Barker Cypress Road and Clay Road.

The victim was rushed to an area hospital where he later died, officials said.

The shooting happened in the Deerfield subdivision. Neighbors tell us it's usually a quiet residential area.

Investigators said a woman's ex-husband came over Saturday night and got into an argument with her new husband. It escalated to the point that the ex-husband pulled out a gun and shot the new husband in front of his wife and a five-year-old child.

No one else was injured.

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

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Residents protest new store near Katy neighborhood

KATY, TX (KTRK) -- Some residents in Katy do not want a new grocery store to be built near their neighborhood. They're so opposed to the store that they protested out in the street this past weekend.

The big concerns seem to be traffic and property values and the neighbors say they have plenty of grocery stores already.

On the empty field at the corner of South Mason Road and Oak Park Trails Drive, the sound of the wind could soon be replaced by the sound of construction. And the neighbors in the Oak Park Trails subdivision have a problem with that.

"The grocery store is proposed or planned to be built on a site that we consider to be a major intersection thoroughfare intersecting with a neighborhood street," said HOA President Lisa Balkanli.

Neighbors say developers want to put an Aldi there; a discount grocery store that's been in the middle of a big nationwide expansion.

No problem with an expansion, say the neighbors. Just not here.

"Southbound traffic from Mason Road will have no other option, but to come into our neighborhood street to come into the property," said Balkanli.

According to the plans, the president of the HOA showed Eyewitness News, the store itself will be right behind me. The loading dock will be at the back of the lot right next to the homes in the neighborhood.

"Nobody really wants the business to come and see their property value drop," said resident Michael Queen.

He has lived on the street that backs up to the site for ten years.

Oak Park Trails Drive is the entrance to the subdivision he uses to get in and out.

"The increased traffic flow in and out of our neighborhood; especially getting into our neighborhoods. How crowded does it get during rush hour? It's gets pretty crowded after 4 o'clock," Queen said.

Aldi has met with the HOA to talk about the plans, but there's no word whether the German-owned chain is looking elsewhere.

Meantime, the HOA president says construction could start in the spring.

"We just don't think that our neighborhood street is a good fit," said Balkanli.

Neighbors in the subdivision started up an online petition protesting the proposed Aldi two days ago, and so far they have about 200 signatures.

We called and emailed Aldi for a response, but have no heard back.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Stolen neighborhood Christmas tree may have been found

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A would-be Christmas Grinch may have not ruined plans for a holiday celebration in one Houston neighborhood after all.

Neighbors in Montrose's Hyde Park say their neighborhood Christmas tree suddenly disappeared just before neighbors were about to decorate.

But hours after Eyewitness News aired the story on Monday afternoon, residents say they were contacted by the person who took the tree that was located on the corner of Waugh and Hyde Park. That called claimed to have just been watching over it and plans on giving it back.

The 10-foot tree, which was valued at about $150, was donated by Greek restaurant Niko Niko's. The eatery already had already donated a second tree.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Firefighters canvass neighborhood following fatal fire

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston firefighters are canvassing a northeast Houston neighborhood giving residents information about smoke detectors. This comes in the wake of Wednesday's fire that killed an elderly couple in that neighborhood.

The city has closed the property near Hobart Taylor Park and declared it a hazard after a fierce fatal fire. Firefighters were back on the scene Thursday with a message of prevention. Firefighters are walking the streets of the neighborhood, trying to do what they can to prevent another tragedy, giving residents information about smoke alarms, encouraging them to have an evacuation route prepared in the event of a fire. An older couple, Dorothy Moore and Eddie Manuel died Wednesday when their home caught fire in the early morning hours. When firefighters arrived, the flames were so heavy they couldn't get in right away, and were only able to reach the couple later. The couple was found in the back of the house. It seems they were trying to escape the flames. Because of the extent of the damage, the fire department cannot say whether or not the couple had a smoke alarm, but they say this is an appropriate time to talk about fire prevention. "The safety measures that I want to get out is that any fires that are in any residential home can be possibly assisted so that the family members can get out if they have a working smoke alarm," said Asst. Chief Rick Flanagan with the Houston Fire Department. "We don't know, have not concluded if they had at this time." "After the incident, they're definitely more aware of what can happen, so they're a little bit more in line to accept the help as opposed to coming out blind without an incident," said Houston firefighter Albert Bennett. "Everyone has the ideology that it will never happen to me. After an incident with someone that's in proximity to you, you're a little bit more inclined to say, 'Hey, that could've been me.'" As they go door to door, firefighters are also checking smoke alarms to make sure they're working properly. They added that if anyone cannot afford a smoke alarm, they should go to their local fire station to receive assistance in getting one. The cause of the fire and the cause of death of Moore and Manuel is under investigation. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

local, elissa rivas

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Neighborhood seeks to stop Freedom Over Texas show

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Thousands of people are looking forward to this year's fireworks show over Houston, but one neighborhood is dreading it, afraid it could end in disaster.

Monday night, the fireworks will launch from Eleanor Tinsley Park. The worried neighbors live close by in the old Sixth Ward. The 17-minute fireworks spectacular that will celebrate the nation's birthday. But just a few blocks from that is Houston's oldest historic neighborhood, which is on edge about the event and the homes. In a city that prides itself on the new, Sixth Ward is an exception. Many of the homes are from the 19th century. But in this drought, that charm raises a concern. "When we're looking at old growth wood that's is already dry and crackling because it's been in our house for a hundred years, it's a tender box," said Larissa Lindsay with the Old Sixth Ward Association. On Monday night, a few blocks from Sixth Ward, the annual Freedom Over Texas celebration will light up the sky, and the homeowners fear a stray spark could spark a fire. There's enough concern that the civic association advised homeowners to have garden hoses hooked up, a fire extinguisher at the ready and a cell phone to call for help in case there is a fire. "We did a lot to save this neighborhood, and we refuse to let it go up in smoke," Lindsay said. The celebration is conducted by pyrotechnic professionals. But to ease neighbors' concerns, the city will provide police to prevent people from parking in the neighborhood to view the fireworks show. That will allow fire trucks entrance should they be needed. "We're going above and beyond into posting additional personnel and fire equipment over in that area," Said Joe Leggio, a fire marshal inspector. Leggio also says Sixth Ward is not in the so-called fallout zone for the detonated fireworks. The president of the Sixth Ward association is still advising neighbors to have garden hoses and fire extinguishers ready to go. Leggio says that's a good idea for anyone during this drought. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Neighborhood fights to keep its community center open

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- With city of Houston budget deadlines fast approaching, one neighborhood continues its fight to keep its community center open.

Cherryhurst Community Center is one of seven on the chopping block because of budget constraints. In a special meeting on Tuesday night, dozen residents discussed ways to pressure City Hall. The neighborhood is also being proactive, exploring ways to privately fund the center through partnerships and non-profit status. They believe the after school programs here are very important for both the children and park safety. "This is an inner city area we have drug dealers in the park, we have people having sex in the park, we have people sleeping in the park," said Carol Rensink with Cherryhurst Civic Association. Closing the seven community centers will save the city almost a million dollars a year. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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