Video captures break-in at Sugar Land business park

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Two men and a woman are on the run after police say they broke into two offices at a business park in Sugar Land last week.

According to Sugar Land police, the three people broke into offices at 1 Sugar Creek Blvd. back on January 5 at around 2pm.

The trio was captured on surveillance video going into the pried-open front doors of Petrolog International and the Leon Law Firm. The video shows two men entering one office as the women stands at the doors.

According to police, nothing was taken from either office suite.

Anyone with information should call the Sugar Land Police Department at (281) 275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at (281) 342-TIPS (8477).
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Family recovering after terrifying home invasion in Sugar Land

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- A Sugar Land family is recovering after surviving a terrifying night being attacked by a group of violent burglars. Four men stormed the family's home on Baldwin Crossing near Mayfair just before 10pm Monday.

Zubeda Ali, who was repeatedly pistol whipped in the head, is back home now after getting staples and stitches in the hospital. On Monday night, she and her family endured a harrowing ordeal here.

It was 9:45pm when the doorbell rang here on Baldwin Crossing. Outside was a person holding what appeared to be a box of pizza.

"My mom thought it was my cousin coming to sleep over, who comes all the time," said Ali's daughter.

She didn't want us to show her face, but she agreed to talk with us in the hopes of catching the men who burst into her mother's home when her mom cracked the door open.

"It's really important. It's really ridiculous. This is supposed to be a really nice neighborhood," she said.

The mother was home with her husband and another adult daughter. Family says the mother fought with the men as they tried to push their way in that front door, even biting their hands, but they were too strong.

Police say four men, all wearing masks of some kind, then demanded cash.

"They wanted to know where the money was located; they knew it was there," said Sugar Land police spokesperson Doug Adolph. "The homeowners wouldn't tell them where the money was, so they pistol whipped the 53-year-old female."

The woman's daughter says her family was tied up with duct tape and blindfolded. She says her sister ran into a bedroom to try and call 911 on a cell phone, but couldn't get through. Police say the thieves rummaged through the home for 30 minutes. Family says it was closer to 40. They loaded up the family's sedan with cash, TVs and jewelry and took off.

Some neighbors say they moved out of Houston to get away from this type of crime and they're having trouble realizing that it is here too.

"Honestly, I'm numb. It hasn't registered yet," said neighbor Indu Khera.

Family says the mother pretended to be unconscious until the men fled. She then was somehow able to untie herself, the rest of her family and call 9-1-1.

Police say the homeowner here operates two dry cleaning stores in Houston and may have been targeted because of the cash which small business owners usually handle. They remind small business owners to be cognizant of their surroundings. They also tell everyone never to open a door to your home if you don't know the person on the other side.

Police are still looking for the family's 2003 silver Toyota Camry which was stolen, with the license plate BZ9 Z060.

If you have seen the vehicle or have any information that can help police in this case, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS or Sugar Land police at 281-275-2500.

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Sugar Land student among 50 semifinalists in National Spelling Bee

Eighth grader Sivateja Tangirala of Fort Settlement Middle School in Sugar Land is one of the 50 finalists in today's Scripps National Spelling bee finals.

  OXON HILL, MD -- Fifty semifinalists are preparing to take the stage at the National Spelling Bee -- including the sister of the 2009 winner and two five-time participants.

Unlike in the preliminary rounds, spellers who get words wrong will hear the dreaded bell that signals it's time to leave the stage.

Eighth-grader Sivateja Tangirala of Fort Settlement Middle School in Sugar Land is one of the 50 finalists in today's Scripps National Spelling bee finals. Tangirala also qualified for last year's Spelling bee.

Among the favorites is 10-year-old Vanya Shivashankar of Olanthe, Kan., whose sister, Kavya, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee three years ago. Vanya was the only speller to earn a perfect score in the preliminary rounds.

Six-year-old Lori Anne Madison, the youngest speller in the history of the event, did not make the semifinals.

Thursday's semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN2, as will the finals Thursday evening.

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Veterans exhibit in Sugar Land for Memorial Day weekend

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- The Wall That Heals traveling exhibit will be in Sugar Land for the Memorial Day weekend.

The exhibit was to be brought into Sugar Land on Tuesday. A replica of Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, it has traveled to more than 300 cities across the country. Organized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, an organization charged with preserving The Wall, the exhibit also includes an education area with pictures and military artifacts.

The display of the traveling exhibition at Sugar Land Memorial Park, 15300 University Blvd. from May 24 to 28, from 8am to 8pm, is planned to coincide with Memorial Day weekend and the city's Memorial Day ceremony.

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Sugar Land police: Baby dies after left by father in hot car

A child was discovered dead after reportedly being left inside a vehicle all day.

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Charges have not been filed after a father left his seven-month-old in his vehicle and later found the baby dead.

Police say the father dropped off his older children at school yesterday morning and then drove to work, all while the baby was in the truck. He drove back home to Sugar Land and realized what happened when his wife called to check on the children.

Authorities say he ran outside and found the baby dead inside the vehicle. The incident is still under investigation.

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Louis Dreyfus Commodities buying Imperial Sugar

  SUGAR LAND, TX -- Louis Dreyfus Commodities LLC is buying refined sugar processor Imperial Sugar Co. for about $77.5 million.

Houston area-based Imperial Sugar's board unanimously approved the acquisition, which is targeted to close in the second quarter.

Louis Dreyfus will pay $6.35 per share, which is a 57 percent premium to Imperial Sugar's closing price of $4.05 per share on Monday. Imperial Sugar currently has approximately 12.2 million outstanding shares.

The companies said Tuesday that the total value of the deal is about $203 million, which includes debt and pension liabilities.

Last month Imperial Sugar, which is based in Sugar Land, said it netted $60.4 million from the sale of its 50 percent stake in Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. to an affiliate of the Arlon Group.

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Sugar Land Skeeters ready for Opening Day

  by Pooja LodhiaSUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- The countdown is on to the inaugural game for the Skeeters, Sugar Land's new minor league baseball team. Preparations are now underway at Constellation Stadium

Shoveling, cleaning, and decorating. Workers are putting finishing touches on Constellation Field, the brand new home of the Skeeters. The new minor league team plays Pennsylvania's York Revolution in its first game Thursday night. But fans will find far more than baseball here.

"We're going to have drinks, jugglers, stilt walkers, human pyramids," said Skeeters Communications Manager Bryan Hodge. "We'll have radio stations broadcasting live."

The field has a gift shop, a merry-go-round and even a swimming pool. Sugar Land voters approved the $37 million project back in 2008.

"It's something that Sugar Land can call their own and be proud of," said Hodge. "Sugar Land has put so much effort into this stadium."

"It's about time that we get some local sports," said Sugar Land resident Justin Graham. "People are crazy about high school sports so naturally they'll be pretty excited about this."

"It's good for our side of town; people who stay on the southwest part of Highway 6," added Ft. Bend County resident Myles Moore. " So I'll go to some baseball games to check it out. Beats going all the way downtown."

One Skeeters fan even has a challenge to the Major Leagues.

"I think the Skeeters will be a better team than the Astros," said Ft. Bend County resident Scott Laclaire.

Opening ceremonies start at 4:30pm. The game starts at 7pm. There are 10,000 seats at the Constellation Field and it is expected to be packed for Opening Day. The Skeeters play 140 regular season games.

For more information on the Skeeters' roster, schedule and tickets, visit SugarLandSkeeters.com.

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Sugar Land residents concerned about new development where Imperial Sugar refinery once stood

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- It's been more than a year since the Imperial Sugar factory in Sugar Land came tumbling down and now the land left behind is at the center of a controversy pitting homeowners against developers.

Developers want to bring luxury apartments, restaurants and shops to the area, but residents worry about the impact that could have on their own communities.

The city of Sugar Land says there is some bad information out there about this project and they want to set the record straight. Homeowners, though, wonder if the city is telling the entire story.

Janie Gonzales grew up in a house in the shadow of the Imperial Sugar refinery.

"This house, it means everything to me," Gonzales said.

Developers want to take 800 acres of land around the Imperial site and turn it into shops, restaurants, new homes and apartments. It's the latter that worries Gonzales.

"I've asked how they're gonna control the noise, traffic, everything -- I get no answers," said Gonzales.

The Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved unanimously a plan to move forward.

"The work that the planning and zoning commission did and compromise that the developer did has resulted in many of those concerns having been resolved," said Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard.

He says plans are in place to alleviate traffic congestion on the roads, even to create buffers between existing homes and apartments.

The current recommendation to City Council includes 625 apartments, the first 300 to be built near the new baseball stadium. If occupancy exceeds 75 percent, the developer can then construct another 325 closer to the old refinery.

The city says that's better than the prior plan, which limited construction to 459 apartments near the refinery site and contained no cap on the number of units built elsewhere.

"It's still more than the 459," said realtor Diana Miller.

Miller has gathered more than 2,000 signatures against it. She says the project is already hurting homeowners who live closest to the old refinery, who've tried to get their property appraised for a reverse mortgage or refinance.

"It could be valued at $30,000; it could be valued at $200,000. There's just too much uncertainty here," Miller said.

Some have even heard rumors of the city one day using eminent domain to take homes here. The city of Sugar Land insists it has no plans to do so.

The recommendation still must be discussed in a public hearing on April 3 and then voted on by City Council.

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Man robs Sugar Land pharmacy for $3K worth of prescription drugs

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Authorities are looking for a man who robbed a Sugar Land pharmacy and got away with thousands of dollars in prescription drugs.

Sugar Land police say the man entered the Walgreens at 17330 Grand Parkway at around 8pm January 15, walked to the pharmacy and passed a note asking for prescription medication. The note indicated the man was armed with a gun, but he never displayed a weapon. The pharmacist complied, and the male left the store with prescription medications valued at approximately $3,000.

No one was injured.

Surveillance video of the suspect has been released.

Witnesses described the suspect as a white male with light skin, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, 20 to 25 years old and weighing 160 to 175 pounds. He was wearing a white shirt with a hood, white and gray basketball shorts, white shoes and white knee-high socks.

Anyone with information should call the Sugar Land Police Department at 281-275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).

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Copper stolen from new stadium for Sugar Land Skeeters

The stadium is still under construction. Opening day for the Sugar Land Skeeters is set for April 26th.

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Police are looking for the thieves who stole several reels of copper which was to be installed at the new stadium being built for the Sugar Land Skeeters.

Workers discovered the copper missing from a storage room at Constellation Field on Friday, December 30. The reels of copper are worth approximately $25,000.

A source with knowledge of the incident says the thieves must have used heavy equipment to remove the reels from the site and haul them away.

The stadium is still under construction. Opening day for the Sugar Land Skeeters is set for April 26.

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Plane makes emergency landing at Sugar Land airport

Officials say the Cessna twin-engine plane landed without its landing gear down at the Sugar Land airport Tuesday afternoon.

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- A private plane made an emergency landing at the Sugar Land Airport Tuesday afternoon.

Officials say the Cessna twin-engine plane landed without its landing gear down. No one was injured, but the runway was closed as crews try to clear a fuel spill from the landing.

Investigators will have to determine whether the landing gear issue was a mechanical failure or a pilot error.

We will bring you more information as it becomes available.

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Overnight car break-ins on rise in Sugar Land

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Sugar Land police say there's been an increase in overnight burglaries of vehicles parked at homes overnight.

Police are now asking resident to take a few simple steps to this type of crime. They say always keep your vehicle locked. When parked overnight, make sure to remove all valuables or lock them in the trunk. And once you leave your car, truck or SUV, take a look inside to make sure there's nothing visible that would attract a thief, like a GPS until. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Controversial campaign flyer in Sugar Land

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- There's nothing 'sweet' about the Sugar Land City Council election. A flyer being sent to some voters in Sugar Land implies a connection between a candidate and a woman convicted of having terrorist ties.

The mayor of Sugar Land is calling for this case to be decided based on a candidate's qualifications and nothing more.

A flyer being circulated by an unknown source quotes an article written allegedly in the Express Tribune newspaper claiming that Sugar Land attorney Farha Ahmed is representing a woman serving time for attacks on US military and the FBI. The flyer goes on to label that convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui as 'Lady Al Qaeda'.

A representative told Eyewitness News that Ahmed never represented Siddiqui, and she isn't even qualified to practice in federal court.

"Frankly, as an attorney who is NOT a criminal defense lawyer, nor licensed to practice in any state other than Texas, nor in federal court, I would not be retained as an attorney in such a case," Ahmed said in a prepared statement."I do not believe that answering this question will stop the smear campaign against me by those who have a hidden agenda. They will continue to ask questions unrelated to the platform I am running on or the city issues we care about." Ahmed is now worried about her family's safety.

Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson issued a terse statement Friday in response to the flyer, calling this sort of campaigning "unfortunate." He thinks she needs to respond to the allegations in detail.

"Knowing her ... living in our community, I would find it really hard to believe. It's incumbent on somebody to answer those questions," Thompson said.

The flyer says it is paid for by a "concerned citizen" -- someone not affiliated with any candidate or any political party.

Fort Bend District Attorney John Healey notes that Ahmed is not a criminal attorney, and that she only does civil litigation. Healey says this is an attempt to suggest guilt by association.

The runoff in this Sugar Land city council election is set for June 11.

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Lawmakers closer to shutting Sugar Land prison

  AUSTIN, TX (KTRK) -- Texas budget negotiators have agreed on prison funding that would close a more than century-old unit near Houston to save money.

Legislative leaders Wednesday announced a prison budget of $6.1 billion, which is part of the overall state spending plan still under review.

The proposal includes closing the Central Unit in Sugar Land to save $50 million over two years. Backers say the acreage, near Sugar Land Regional Airport, could be sold for economic development.

The proposal is about $100 million, or 1.6 percent, less than the current prison budget. The measure includes raises for about 30,000 corrections employees as part of career-ladder increases.

Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire of Houston says the plan would maintain inmate security, treatment and rehabilitation.

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