Certain areas of Houston, as in any large city, are more prone to incidents of violent crime than other parts of the city. As Houston police can attest, East Uvalde Road is often the location of violent crimes such as robbery and assault or murder. This area saw two violent crimes in the past two weeks.
The two incidents
The first incident occurred on Sept. 23 when a man attempted to rob a business in the 600 block of Uvalde and attempted to escape by stealing an SUV. The owner of the SUV was waiting for her daughter in a church parking lot. The suspect sped out of the parking lot and promptly crashed, killing the woman who was inside the vehicle when it was stolen. The suspect walked away from the accident scene. He entered a nearby business and attempted to hold the employees hostage until he was ultimately forced to surrender to a group of police officers. After the arrest, police identified the man as a repeat criminal with at least 15 prior charges on his record. The charges include drug possession, evading law enforcement officers and burglary. According to police, the woman’s daughter witnessed the entire incident, including her mother’s death.
On September 23, a would-be robber attempted a purse-snatching. He attempted to escape in his car and ended the attempted crime by running over and killing the would-be victim. This crime occurred at a McDonald’s restaurant about two blocks from the carjacking. The victim, a 71-year-old woman, was leaving the restaurant and carrying her pursed and the food she had purchased. When the suspect attempted to leave the scene in his own vehicle, he struck the victim and killed her.
What happens next?
The two men who are suspected of committing the two crimes described above are facing serious criminal charges. The man charged in the SUV hijacking may face very significant penalties based upon his prior criminal record. Anyone facing similar charges may wish to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney for assistance. A knowledgeable defense attorney can evaluate the evidence, devise helpful legal arguments to bolster the defense, and when appropriate assist in negotiating an acceptable plea agreement with the prosecution.