HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A crash in northwest Houston left two people dead and sent a third to the hospital. Two vehicles crashed on the Northwest Freeway near Magnum around 2am. It's unclear which driver caused the crash.
The survivor's condition is unknown.
(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local » HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A leader, not only in the Hispanic community, but for all of Harris County, is fighting for his life. State Senator Mario Gallegos is in grave condition at Methodist Hospital. Known for being tough when it comes to issues he cares about, family and friends are hoping that toughness will help him recover.
Out of intensive care now, Senator Gallegos is in his own room at the Methodist Hospital with family, friends and colleagues never far away. He's reportedly having complications from a liver transplant he had five years ago.
His campaign office called his condition grave, but the atmosphere not necessarily somber.
"He's responding to people and laughing told a couple of jokes and obviously his circumstance is a tough one and he probably recognizes that," said State Rep. Garnett Doleman (D) of Houston. "But it being a tough one, the time we all have, you don't waste the time talking about that. You make sure you talk about the good times."
Rep. Coleman visited with Gallegos on Friday. The two have been friends for 20 years.
"Mario is a man with a big heart and superior spirit," said Coleman.
Coleman spoke to us, not to disrespect the family, but to honor his friend.
Once a longtime Houston firefighter, Gallegos entered the political arena 22 years ago, first as a state representative, then since 1994 as a state senator representing District 6. In fact, he was the first Mexican-American state senator elected in Harris County.
And as a politician, private matters are public. In 2006, he acknowledged he spent a month in residential treatment for alcoholism. The next year, he announced he has cirrhosis of the liver. A few days later, he received a liver transplant.
Gallegos ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, but faces Republican R.W. Bray in the November election.
A statement released Friday afternoon on his behalf read in part, "Senator Gallegos' family is at his side during this difficult time, and they have asked me to respectfully request that they be allowed their privacy, so that they may devote their undivided attention to their loved one."
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Strip club owners in a lawsuit say a $5 'pole tax' is unconstitutional. HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Strip club owners in Houston are now taking their fight against a pole tax to court. Lawyers representing Houston strip club executives have now filed a lawsuit claiming the new $5 per customer fee is unconstitutional.
The city passed the fee back in June. It's expected to raise about $3 million per year; money that will be used to help the city process untested rape kits.
(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local » HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Several cars are sitting bare at a car dealership in northwest Houston after thieves took off with the tires. It happened along the North Freeway at DeMontrond. Police say a group of thieves broke into the dealership and stole the tires off the new cars.
Authorities are still looking for the criminals, who are believed to have run off into the woods.
(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local » HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A SWAT team is at the scene of an armed robbery attempt in Montgomery County. Oak Ridge and Conroe police and Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies were called to a Shell station on State Highway 242 near I-45 around 3am where two armed suspects had entered the store through the McDonalds drive-through. A customer called 911.
Oak Ridge and Conroe Police officers arrived on the scene and believed that employees were still inside the store with the suspects. One of the employees was able to escape through the drive-through while the suspects were distracted.
"What we know at this time, is that we believe there are two armed robbers inside the store with two employees of the McDonalds and the Shell," said Lt. Dan Norris of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Initial attempts to contact anyone inside the business were unsuccessful and SWAT and crisis negotiators were called to the scene. Multiple attempts were made to contact anyone inside the business and eventually one employee came out that had been hiding behind a counter, authorities said. The witness did not know if the suspects were still inside but two employees were unaccounted for and they were believed to still be inside the business.
SWAT entered the business at about 7am and found two employees hiding in a back room and the suspects were gone. Investigators with the Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers are interviewing witnesses.
The suspects are described as two black males, 5'9" to 5'10" wearing a black hoodie and mask with gloves.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment of a felony crime. Anyone with informaiton can call 800-392-STOP (7867). Anonymous tips can also be made through the Montgomery County Crime Stoppers Web Page at www.montgomerycountycrimestoppers.org.
(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »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.
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Henry Walter Hauffe, 63, is charged with four counts of possession of child pornography. HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A $10,000 bond was set Friday for a Houston ISD district clerk accused of downloading child pornography. Henry Walter Hauffe, 63, was arrested Thursday and charged with four counts of possession of child pornography. A cyber crime task force investigation led to a search of Hauffe's home back in February. There, investigators uncovered explicit images of young girls stored on his computers.
No word why eight months passed between the search and his arrest. A spokesperson for HISD tells us Hauffe's duties did not involve any interaction with children.
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