Robbers hit bank, dump car in school parking lot

Surveillance photos of a masked, armed bank robber at Amegy Bank in the 400 block of North Sam Houston Parkway at Imperial Valley

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Bank robbery suspects dumped their getaway car in a school parking lot Saturday after terrorizing tellers and customers in north Houston.

According to officials, the robbery happened around 12:45pm at Amegy Bank in the 400 block of North Sam Houston Parkway at Imperial Valley.

We're told it was a takeover-style robbery. One suspect entered the bank wearing a ski mask and carrying a pistol. He pointed his weapon at tellers in the bank and demanded that everyone get down.

He took an undisclosed amount of cash and ran outside where at least two other suspects were waiting for him in a white Dodge Neon with paper plates.

The suspects reportedly dumped the getaway vehicle in the parking lot of Jose De Santiago Early Childhood Pre-Kindergarten Center at 1420 Aldine Meadows Road.

A security guard across the street told us he saw the suspects park, jump out of the getaway car and get into another vehicle.

Officers say this is the fourth bank robbery in a one-mile radius within the past couple days.

The armed suspect was described as a Hispanic male wearing a gray hoodie, blue shorts and a dark ski mask. He carried a red tote bag during the robbery.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and arrest of these robbers. If you have information about this case, please call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS or the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

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

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Off-duty HPD officer fires at suspects in parking lot

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- One suspect is in the hospital and another is on the run after investigators say the pair intentionally hit an off-duty Houston police officer with their car.

It happened around 1:30am in the parking lot of Twin Peaks restaurant on Lomitas at the Southwest Freeway feeder road.

The officer was working a second job at the restaurant when the suspects were involved a fight inside.

According to officials, the officer escorted the suspects outside where they hopped into their vehicle and tried to run over the officer. The officer says he started shooting when the men drove toward him.

"He's fearing for his life. He discharges his duty weapon and strikes the vehicle," HPD spokesperson Victor Senties said. "The vehicle then pulls around in the parking lot, comes back out and intentionally swerves towards the officer again."

The suspect's car hit the officer in the leg but he wasn't seriously hurt.

One of the suspects showed up later at an area hospital with a bullet wound. His injury is not life-threatening, authorities said. The other suspect remains on the loose.

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Man shot to death in southwest Houston parking lot

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police want to find the person who shot a man early Sunday and then left him to die in a southwest Houston parking lot.

It happened around 2am at Coral Island Apartments on Kirkwood Drive near Dashwood. The victim's body was found on a sidewalk after neighbors heard gunshots.

Police say he died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

According to investigators, the victim was dressed like he had just left a night club, except he was not wearing shoes when he was found. He also was not carrying identification.

There is no word yet on a possible motive. Anyone with information on this crime can call Houston police or Crime Stoppers.

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Cars go up in flames in Walmart parking lot

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A fire left behind thousands of dollars worth of damage in a Walmart parking lot in north Houston overnight.

Fire crews arrived at the store on the North Freeway and West Road to find four vehicles in the parking on fire. The flames destroyed all of them.

No one was hurt. There's no word yet on what caused the fire.

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Army vet pays $1 parking ticket 58 years later

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Most drivers try to avoid paying a parking ticket, if possible. But nearly 60 years after being cited, an Army veteran shows city leaders that you can't put a price on responsibility.

Fifty-eight years ago, downtown Houston was a different place and Dale Crawford was in a hurry. He had a date with the Army.

"I couldn't tell you what meter I was on and parked along here somewhere and the induction center was down that way," said Crawford.

He parked his Nash sedan on Milam Street and shipped off to Alaska where he was an anti-aircraft gunner during the Korean War.

Four years later, he returned home and resumed his life. But in 1995, he found something in a box of mementos kept by his mother -- a parking ticket issued the day he was inducted.

"My dad, he got off from work at seven o'clock and he was to come down here and get it," said Crawford.

His dad was late picking up the car. The ticket was for $1 and it still nagged his conscience at times, so he contacted the city. It's the only time parking management can recall such a thing.

"He didn't have to do this and no one would have ever known. It's purely his honor to pay his debts," said Don Cagle with the city's Parking Management Department.

Today, that one dollar debt was paid.

"I am gonna pay the mayor in cold hard cash," Crawford said.

One U.S. dollar -- the same price on the ticket from 1953, with penalties and interest waived.

"What we call the Greatest Generation; his service to his country started here in Houston and his service to the city of Houston continues," said Mayor Annise Parker.

It's a lesson in responsibility and making good on debts -- something Dale Crawford learned from his parents and is passing down.

"I can still get a parking ticket, Crawford said.

When we asked him if he would get another parking ticket, he replied, "No, I might get a speeding ticket sometime."

That same ticket today costs $35 plus penalties and interest if not paid on time.

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

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Two accused of illegally charging people to park at Med Center parking garage

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two men are accused of charging healthcare professionals to park at a Medical Center parking garage for nearly two years despite not having the authorization to do so.

Jose Guadalupe Luna, 30, and Ramon Valdes are charged with aggregate theft. According to court documents, the two men illegally collected money on a monthly basis from UT Health employees to park in the Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing parking garage next door to the UT Health parking garage at 6436 Fannin.

Police say Luna admitted to using his position in the UT Health parking office to activate parking cards to the Prairie View garage, but not enter them into the billing system. They say Luna would then give the cards to Valdes to give them to the employees that would pay $100 a month to park in the other garage -- about $50 cheaper a month than the UT Health garage. Valdes would collect the monthly fee from employees, police say.

Both men told police that they started the scheme after coming upon rough financial times and that they stopped the scheme when some people became suspicious.

Luna told police that he profited about $2,000 per month and would split the profits with Valdes.

UT Health alleges it lost nearly $30,000 in revenue.

Bond has been set at $58,839.96 for each defendant.

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Woman's body found in business parking lot

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police are awaiting autopsy results in the death of a woman found in northwest Harris County.

The Houston Police Department says patrol officers responded to a deceased person call about 7:30pm Thursday in the parking lot of a business at 2216 Pech Road after workers found a woman unresponsive. Houston Fire Department emergency personnel arrived and pronounced Louann Harris, 56, dead of unknown causes. A preliminary investigation indicated there are no signs of foul play in this incident. The investigation is pending Harris' cause of death to be determined by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Man found fatally shot in school parking lot

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A murder investigation is underway at a southwest Houston middle school after a man was found dead in the school parking lot. Workers discovered the man's body inside a pickup truck in the parking lot of Olle Middle School on Boone Road at Bissonnet in far southwest Houston.

Police say the pickup truck was stopped diagonally in the middle of the teachers' lot in front of the school. The doors were closed, lights on, ignition off. When the employees approached the vehicle around 7am, they found the man who appears to be in his mid-40s slumped in the driver's side with his seatbelt on.

Police say the victim was seemingly dressed for work, with his lunch packed. Police believe he was shot in the head, in the vehicle, and believe it's likely someone had been in the vehicle with him.

"We're in front of this middle school so we're hoping there will be some surveillance video, possibly of the truck coming into the parking lot, maybe whoever else may have been with him," said Officer Jonathan French with HPD Homicide. "Just looking inside, there's nothing unusual. There's food inside and it really looked like the guy was on his way to work."

Olle MS parent Patrick Williams said, "They come to school to see this right here, you know. It's a big concern with me because I got a kid who goes to school here, you know and this is unbelievable to me."

Police are waiting for the medical examiner's office to arrive and what they call a trace team to search for forensic evidence before the body is removed.

The keys to the vehicle are missing. Police are unwilling to discuss a possible motive for the killing at this time.

We're told the man was not a school district employee, but his identity has not been released.

The area was roped off early this morning. As students arrived for school, they were directed to a back entrance on the campus. Otherwise, it's a normal class day.

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