Former President Bush to remain in hospital

  HOUSTON -- Former President George H.W. Bush spent Christmas in a Houston hospital with his wife, Barbara, and other relatives who planned to treat him to a special holiday meal.

Bush's son, Neil, and his wife also visited on Tuesday, and one of Bush's grandsons was planning to stop by as well, said Jim McGrath, Bush's spokesman in Houston.

The 88-year-old has been in the hospital since Nov. 23 with a lingering, bronchitis-like cough. A hospital spokesman had said Bush was likely to be released to spend Christmas at home, but then McGrath said the former president developed a fever.

Doctors remain "cautiously optimistic" Bush will recover, but want to keep him in the hospital while they help him build up his strength and balance his medications, McGrath said.

On Christmas, the Bush family normally eats at Gigi's Asian Bistro in Houston's Galleria neighborhood, McGrath said. There were plans to pick up food at the upscale restaurant and bring the meal to the hospital.

Bush has been receiving visitors for weeks, including two by his son, former President George W. Bush, and one by Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida.

Bush and his wife reside in Houston during the winter, and spend their summers at a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The former president was a naval aviator in World War II -- at one point the youngest in the Navy -- and was shot down over the Pacific. He achieved notoriety in retirement for skydiving on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House in 1992.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

george h.w. bush, local

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Kidnapped boy to remain with foster family

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Eight years ago, a Houston boy was kidnapped as an infant. The women accused of taking and hiding him are in custody and his family is fighting to get him back.

The boy, Miguel Morin, remains in foster care and this morning his family was back in court to find out what's next.

The judge decided Miguel needs to stay with his current foster family at least until January 9. That was based on testimony from Miguel's child advocate and his therapist.

Miguel Morin was kidnapped when he was just eight months old. In March of this year authorities found him, now eight years old, living with his former babysitter Krystle Tanner and her mother Gloria Walker. The pair is charged with kidnapping and injury to a child and are in jail.

Miguel is with a foster family, learning colors, numbers, and letters. He was kept out of school and is behind other children his age.

Miguel is undergoing therapy, as are his parents, Auboni Champion-Morin and Fernando Morin. Their attorney testified that they want him placed with his four siblings, ages 7, 9, 10 and 14, who do not live with the Morins. They live with Juanita and Joseph Auguillard, Miguel's godparents, and the Auguillards seven children.

The Auguillards received some good news at this hearing. Miguel will visit with them, and meet his siblings for the first time later this month. What they are excited about is reunification of these children who are, for now, total strangers.

The Auguillards have a bed ready for Miguel and are excited about the future.

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

local, katie mccall

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Questions remain unanswered in girl's rape at grocery store

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police are investigating the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.

The girl claims a stranger grabbed her and raped her while she was shopping at a southwest Houston grocery store.

The attack happened more than a month ago, and the girl's family wants to know why no arrest has been made.

The Houston Police Department didn't want us to report this story, telling us they are at a critical time in their investigation and that publicity could hurt that. But the victim's grandmother hopes a story on Eyewitness News might lead to an arrest.

The victim's grandmother, who asked us not to reveal her identity, says she sent her granddaughter to Food Town on Wilcrest and Briar Forest to buy rice on March 24. It was at that grocery store inside one of the bathrooms where her granddaughter claims she was raped.

"You can't help but think, 'If I had drove to the store myself, it wouldn't have happened,'" the grandmother said.

The girl told her grandmother a man approached her outside the store and then followed her inside when she refused to grant his request for a hug. The woman says the man then followed the girl from aisle to aisle. He reportedly attacked when the girl went to get a drink of water near the bathrooms.

"That's when he came up behind her, grabbed her wrists, pulled her into the ladies room and put her in the stall and told her to take her pants down," the grandmother said.

The grandmother says the girl never said anything about the man having a weapon, but she said she was frozen with fear and that the man raped her in the stall, only stopping when someone else entered the bathroom.

"He told her to be quiet and he stood on the seat so you couldn't see his feet," the grandmother said.

The 12-year-old told her grandmother that, once the others inside the bathroom left, the man told her to go outside the stall and make sure they were gone. She said that's when she ran -- when she was away from her attacker and able to summon the courage.

She reported the attack to police that day.

The grandmother said the store manager showed her surveillance video from inside the store of the man stalking the girl. Police never released that video or any suspect description.

Neither Food Town nor HPD would share that video. They wouldn't say why other than that there is an ongoing investigation.

Food Town said it is cooperating with police.

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

local, kevin quinn

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