Houston News

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Man wanted for stealing hard drives, radar detectors from area Target stores

Sugar Land police are looking for a man who has stolen computer hard drives and radar detectors from numerous Target stores throughout Fort Bend and Harris counties

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Sugar Land police are looking for a man who has stolen computer hard drives and radar detectors from numerous Target stores throughout Fort Bend and Harris counties.

More than $750 in merchandise has been stolen from the Target store at 16300 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land during six separate incidents. These crimes occurred on June 6, June 13, June 18, June 23, June 29 and July 10.

The Sugar Land thefts were all discovered on surveillance video after the crimes occurred.

In each incident, the man placed electronics in a basket and later left the store without any visible merchandise. Empty merchandise packages are later found in the store.

The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, with a thin build, light brown or dark blond hair and square-framed glasses. He often wears a baseball cap, shirts with collars, khaki short and brown flip flop sandals.

A female has been seen on surveillance video dropping the man off and picking him up in a dark green Chevrolet Cavalier. She is described as a white female in her 20s with a thin build and brown hair

Anyone with information should call the Sugar Land Police Department at 281-75-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).

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Police: Man pushed two women from moving car on Katy Freeway

Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- The manhunt is on for the person who pushed two women from a moving car, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other. The circumstances leading to the brutal attacks remain unknown.

The first woman was found along the Katy Freeway at Westgreen. The body of the second woman was found near Grand Parkway. Officers found the suspect's abandoned car further down the road in Brookshire, but they're still looking for the man witnesses say was going more than 100 miles per hour when he shoved the two women out of his car.

It happened last night on the Katy Freeway. According to police, the man shot one of his female passengers and pushed her out onto the road at the Katy Freeway and Westgreen. That woman is at Memorial Hermann Hospital, but there has been no update on her condition.

Police say the man kept driving and pushed the second woman out of the vehicle at the Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway. Her body was so mangled when police arrived they couldn't tell if she had been shot before she was pushed out.

Witnesses tell us the suspect sped off.

"This guy flew past us, probably 100, 105 miles per hour at least. I saw him hit the side of this 18-wheeler that's on the side in front of us and skidded off the road and ended up in the ditch right here and the guy that was driving it got out and started running," said witness Daniel Bachrach.

Another witness, Jose Pedraza, told us, "The car was all shattered and there seemed to be blood on the seats."

The investigation continues. Houston police have not identified the suspect or the victims.

The Katy Freeway westbound lanes at Highway 99 were closed down for hours overnight due to the investigation. They reopened around 5:30am.

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

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Uncle accused of fatally stabbing teenage nephew

Alejandro Figueroa, 35, is charged with murder. Shown in this photo from 2009, he is believed to currently have short and partially gray hair.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities are looking for a man they say fatally stabbed his own teenage nephew two days ago.

Police say witnesses said Fernando Figueroa, 19, was stabbed by his uncle, Alejandro Figueroa, in the parking lot of the apartment complex at 2200 Wirt Road at about 9:30pm Wednesday. Alejandro fled the scene prior to the arrival of police officers. Fernando Figueroa suffered stab wounds and was transported to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Alejandro Figueroa, 35, is charged with murder. He is believed to currently have short and partially gray hair. He is believed to have fled in his black, 2002 Ford Escape with Texas license plates BE09626.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Alejandro Figueroa is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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Houston Zoo mourning death of California sea lion

Astro, a four-year-old sea lion at the Houston Zoo, has died. (Houston Zoo)

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's sad news to report from the Houston Zoo. A California sea lion who had been there since 2009 after being rescued three times has died.

According to zoo officials, preliminary findings suggest 'Astro,' the four-year-old sea lion living at the Zoo's McGovern Mammal Marina, died from severe gastroenteritis, however a final cause of death won't be known for a few weeks.

"This is a devastating loss for everyone at the Zoo" said Sea Lion Curator Beth Schaefer. "Since his arrival in 2009 Astro had endeared himself to everyone who met him, from Zoo guests to the sea lion keepers. Every Zoo employee held a special place in their hearts for Astro."

Astro was 11 months old when he came to the Houston Zoo back in 2009 from the Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz. Prior to that, he had been found stranded three times off the California coast. Two of those times, he was released back out into the wild, but the third time, marine mammal rescue personnel determined it was necessary to keep him in a controlled environment.

"Astro had a rough beginning, but he found a loving and caring home at the Zoo and quickly won everyone over with his friendly and spirited personality," said Schaefer.

Schaefer says the two female California sea lions, Cali and Kamia, are both in good health.

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Worker's cigarette causes fire that sent thick black smoke into SW Houston sky

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A lot of heavy black smoke caused some alarm in southwest Houston Thursday afternoon.

From SkyEye 13 HD, you could see the thick black smoke billowing into the air from miles away. It turns out it was a transformer that caught fire and spread to nearby trees and a fence.

A Houston Fire Department spokesperson told us that it is a break area for construction workers and that a fire by smoking materials is the only logical thing the commander could come up with.

Crews got that fire out in no time and there were no reports of injuries.

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Police: Bus driver charged after leaving boy on bus

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A bus driver is facing a felony after police say she failed to check her bus for students and subsequently left a 9-year-old boy who had fallen asleep alone on the bus in a northwest Houston parking lot.

Nine-year-old Theo Jones says he's doing just fine now, and he's even back in school. We got a chance to talk to the boy about what happened Wednesday.

Theo says he was scared when he realized he was all alone on his school bus. No students, no bus driver.

"I woke up and there was nobody on the bus. I sat there for a minute and I got off the bus," Theo said.

According to police, it was during the morning bus route Wednesday when Theo fell asleep. The driver then finished her route, returned to the bus lot, parked and left.

Police say around 12:30pm is when Theo woke up and got off the bus, only to be met by a pit bull living behind the gate where the buses are parked.

"The dog was chasing after me and it jumped on me," Theo said.

Mary Martin says her husband heard the boy screaming for help and ran over. She says he was able to help the boy over the fence.

"They threw food at the dog and got the dog's attention while Albert, my husband, put his hands on the gate so the little boy could get on his hands and he could pull him over the gate."

Theo's mother, Meagan Jones, says she was at work when she got the phone call explaining what had happened.

"I was angry at first. I'm relieved that he is OK," she said.

The bus driver, Simona Alcaide, was arrested and charged with endangering a child, a felony charge. According to charging documents, Alcaide failed to check the bus for students before locking the bus and leaving the area.

"It's 30 seconds to check a bus, to walk it before you park it," Meagan Jones said.

HISD says the bus and driver are not employed by the district. Because Theo lives within a two-mile radius of the school, parents pay for a private bus company.

According to neighbors, that pit bull does live behind these gates and was not on the loose. Theo was taken to the hospital to be checked out after this incident. Again, he is OK.

Alcaide's bond has been set at $5,000.

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HazMat crews cleaning up hydrochloric acid spill in Stafford

Sky Eye HD was over a Hazmat scene in Stafford, where hydrochloric acid spilled out of the bay of an auto repair shop

A HazMat scene is unfolding in Stafford right now.

We're told hydrochloric acid spilled at the Pit Stop Auto Repair shop near FM 1092 and Mula. The acid spilled out of the bay and onto the pavement outside.

Right now, HazMat crews are spraying down that pavement.

We don't have word of any injuries, but will continue to follow the story. Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the very latest.

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

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