Admitted would-be burglar finds body in trunk

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man police say was looking for items to steal from a car made a gruesome discovery. The man opened up the trunk of that car and found a body inside.

He made the discovery after finding the car running but parked along Normandy near the East Freeway. The motive in this case has not been determined and there is no suspect, but police have told us that this murder may have been drug-related.

At 4am, a man driving with his wife and four-month-old baby spotted a Chevrolet on the side of the road. The engine was running, and the keys were right in the ignition. He told police he decided to see if there was anything worth stealing inside. It turns out there was a dead body in the trunk, so he called 911.

Police say the victim has been identified as Donald Michael Lapointe, 28, of Houston. He had been shot at least once and left lying face down.

"We do know that he had a gunshot wound to the chest," said HPD Homicide Investigator Jack A. Harvey. "Also, inside his pants he had a quantity of some unknown pills inside of a ziplock bag. At this point the investigation is still ongoing. We're still looking to try to identify him and find out what led to this situation."

Detectives believe Lapointe was shot somewhere else and then his body was placed in the trunk. Since Lapointe was carrying unlabeled pills, investigators suspect the motive for this crime could be drug-related. There is also evidence of a struggle between the victim and his killer.

Harvey said, "The gunshot wound was the most prominent wound. However, he also had some abrasions to his face. He had some swelling, bruising."

Detectives say that the man who made the discovery is not a suspect. At this time, there are no known suspects. 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.

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

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Shelter dog who met Tommy Lee, KISS finds home

Chance's journey to happily-ever-after has been a long and painful one, but he's enjoyed lots of love and some star-studded adventures (Photo courtesy of Larry Alton)

  Kristy Gillentine, abc13.comHOUSTON (KTRK) -- We first introduced you to Chance, a Montgomery County Animal Shelter dog, last month when he met famed rockers Tommy Lee and the members of KISS.

Now, we are happy to report that Chance has found a forever home and is loving life with his new family.

Chance was fostered by MCAS volunteer Larry Alton from the time he was rescued and through his recovery until he was adopted. He came with a laundry list of problems, but they were all treatable.

"I had Chance almost eight months as he recovered from mange and an operation to correct an inverted eyelid (courtesy of MCAS vet Dr. Taylor) and a broken spirit," Alton told us.

Chance got the chance of a lifetime to hang out with Tommy Lee and the members of KISS backstage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. The visit was coordinated by shelter staffer Jane Holman.

As it turned out, Chance didn't even need the rock star association to find a home.

A young couple -- Chris and Gabby -- had met him at a dog park months earlier and decided at last to have him join their family with their other dog, Rita, who was also adopted from MCAS.

For more information on the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, including how you can help and a list of adoptable pets, visit www.mcaspets.org.

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Jury finds mother guilty of felony murder and injury by omission in death of 4-year-old girl

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County jury has found a mother guilty of felony murder and injury by omission in the death of her 4-year-old girl.

The punishment phase will begin on Monday. Macial Sandoval will face up anywhere from five years to 99 years in prison for the death of her daughter, Betsabeth.

All this week, it's been an emotional roller coaster inside the courtroom. The defense for Sandoval says someone else is to blame. She sat quietly as closing arguments painted vastly different pictures of her role as mother to little Betsabeth Sandoval. The 4-year-old died last June.

Horacio Ramos is Betsabeth's father.

"Real sad, angry at the same time because I'm still wondering what the jury would do," Ramos said.

On Friday the focus was on Betsabeth's mother. Prosecutors say the little girl was found with numerous bruises, contusions, and other injuries in June 2011.

During her closing arguments on Friday, assistant district attorney Connie Spence told jurors, "Having a child, being a mother, is not a right, it is a privilege granted by God."

Ramos listened to the argument with tears in his eyes.

"Even though it's not going to bring my daughter's life back, I still want them to get the punishment they deserve," said Ramos.

But defense attorneys put the blame on Sandoval's partner, who they say was at home taking care of Betsabeth while Sandoval was away at work.

"She trusted the homemaker to take care of the home. Don't punish someone for being in love," said defense attorneys.

But Ramos says little Betsabeth deserves justice.

"People like that, I don't think they have a heart, to do something like that to their own child," he said.

The defense did not call any witnesses.

In closing arguments, the prosecution stated, "We knew this was going on before June 3rd. The medical examiner said this was going on way before June 3rd."

The defense says Sandoval was simply not aware of what was going on in the home, saying, "The child became increasingly difficult. She didn't know what the cause was."

Sandoval's partner is facing the same charges, and will face trial at a later date.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest on this story.

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Hope's story: Rescued dog finds new life

  Kristy Gillentine, abc13.comHOUSTON (KTRK) -- A dog was found abandoned and severely injured last year, but with help from the Houston SPCA and a local veterinary clinic, she was able to find new life.

Hope -- a one-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever -- was rescued December 10, 2011. She was abandoned in a shed near the Westpark Tollway.

The dog was starved to the point that you could see each of her ribs, but that wasn't the worst part of her condition. She was also in tremendous pain

A tie-out chain around her right rear leg had been so tight that it cut into her skin and became embedded. The chain cut off circulation, swelling the paw to four times its normal size. She could barely walk.

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Video above is fromn Houston SPCA

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Still, Hope managed to wag her tail through the torture.

The Houston SPCA's injured animal ambulance rushed to the organization's headquarters on Portway Drive in northwest Houston where the healing began.

Jo Ann Ellis has been a Houston SPCA foster volunteer for 25 years. She began fostering Hope in the middle of December.

"She was so loving and forgetful of all her injuries," Ellis said. "She just had a spirit that I knew she would be a great dog. And she just stole my heart."

The Houston SPCA veterinary team worked to treat Hope's wounds, but her injuries were so severe that she required more specialized care.

Soon, the Center for Veterinary Pain Management and Rehabilitation in The Woodlands heard about Hope and decided to donate their time and expertise to her case.

"We were very fortunate in the fact that a veterinarian stepped in to help with this long process," Ellis said.

Dr. Rick Wall and his team at the Center for Veterinary Pain Management and Rehabilitation use a variety of therapies to bring relief to pets that are in pain and restore full function. It's the only veterinarian-owned practice of its kind in Texas.

"I had them bring her up and took a look at her," Wall said in an interview. "Got a pretty quick idea that it was definitely a problem with the circulation in the foot not returning, and that's why it had all of the edema

In addition to surgery, Hope received a combination of therapies, including lasers, bandages, open wound therapy and even leeches to remove congested blood. She was massaged after laser treatments and then ice was placed on her paw. And every night, she had a pressure wrap.

Hope received treatments three times a day, five days a week in 30- to 40-minute sessions for over three months.

"She never, ever had a problem with any of it. I think she knew we were helping her," Kari Koudelka, a registered veterinary technician who assisted with Hope's treatments, told HSPCA. "She knew we were making it feel better."

Once doctors got the swelling down and Hope began to use her paw more, they could tell she suffered soft tissue damage as well. So they ordered a custom splint made to support her foot.

The plan now is for Hope to wear the splint in intervals until the paw is fully healed and back to normal.

But Hope's life is already more normal than it was this time last year. She is healthier and happier, and she isn't missing any meals.

Houston SPCA officials said Hope has gained 23 pounds since she was rescued, and she has since been adopted into a loving, forever home.

The Houston SPCA's injured animal ambulances rescue thousands of animals in danger and distress every year, and it's the only service of its kind in the region. For more information on their cruelty investigations and rescue efforts or to make a donation, visit www.houstonspca.org.

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

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Passerby finds body in woods

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Deputies are investigating a body discovered in the woods in northwest Harris County.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, a passerby discovered the body in an area a couple hundred feet off of Dowdell near Kuykendahl.

The victim is 20-25 years old and was found nude and bloodied. Officials say there aren't any clothes in the area and they have not been able to determine even a tentative ID.

Investigators aren't sure how the victim may have died, but they are currently handling the case as a homicide. It's not yet known if the man's description matches any recent missing person cases.

Stay with ABC13 Eyewitness News for the latest on this developing story.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Man finds owner of lost bag of gifts

James Taylor found a canvas bag along the Northwest Freeway near the outlet mall last week, and now he's reportedly found the bag's owner.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update on a story about the Deer Park man who found a bag full of presents. We have found the owner!

One afternoon last week, James Taylor found a canvas bag along the Northwest Freeway, near the outlet mall. The bag was full of gifts, cards and cash.

Taylor was determined to find the bag's owner -- and he did! The bag belongs to a woman in her 80's. She tells us she thought the bag was in her trunk when she lost it. She doesn't know exactly how it ended up on the side of the road.

The woman says she's thrilled Taylor found it. The two of them plan to get together next week so he can return everthing to her.

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

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Study finds fewer students graduating from HS

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Graduation rates in Harris County are higher than they were a decade ago. But a new report from the Houston-based research group Children at Risk shows a third of students are still dropping out.

The study shows Harris County public schools are graduating more students than they did 10 years ago, but says one-third of students are still leaving without a diploma. Some districts, including HISD, dispute that.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Children at Risk found that the graduation rate for public schools in Harris County is at 61 percent with students from low income households graduating at a lower rate than those from more affluent families. The study was done on students who entered 9th grade in 2004 and graduated in 2010.

While Children at Risk finds graduation rates for all public schools in the county are about eight points higher when using its own calculations, for HISD -- the largest district in Texas -- Children at Risk finds its graduation rate at 60 percent. But the state disputes that and says HISD's rate is higher, at 74 percent.

The TEA and some local school districts, including HISD, say it stands by the state's calculations and questions Children at Risk's data.

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Passerby finds man stabbed to death on driveway

 Police say a passerby found a man lying in a driveway stabbed multiple times.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police are looking for the killers who stabbed a man to death in southeast Houston.

Police say patrol officers responded to a stabbing call in the 6800 block of Waltrip about 10:35pm Sunday and found the victim lying on the driveway of his residence. Further investigation determined that the victim, Courtney Bell and two unknown male suspects got into a physical fight and at some point during the fight, Bell was stabbed. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction immediately after the incident. Bell, 28, suffered multiple stab wounds and was transported to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 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. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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