Home owner injured in home invasion, suspects in custody

This is a bit of local news. This is close to my house. We are only a small resident area of about 75,000 and when something like this happens it put everyone on edge. We do have some excellent police assigned to our area, and they really put this one away fast.

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 06.23.09
A 27-year-old Kingwood man narrowly escaped with his life when a gunshot was aimed at his head during a home invasion in the 5100 block of Maple Hill Trail around 6 p.m. Friday evening.

According to Houston Police Department Kingwood Sgt. B.R. Wilburn, a total of three teenage suspects were taken into custody thanks to quick police response. All three, Wilburn said, are illegal immigrants from Honduras who were staying in the Greenspoint area.

Police believe the victim in this case was targeted because his family owns several convenience stores in the area and the suspects likely believed the man would carry large amounts of cash.

“One of the men was a lookout, while the other two entered the residence by breaking a back window,” Wilburn said. “The suspects found the homeowner upstairs in the bedroom. They pulled a pistol on him, tied him up, and began to beat him on the head with the weapon as well as their fists. They kept asking him for money.”

Wilburn said the victim was certain the intruders would kill him and put up a fight.

“He tried to run away from his attackers, and when he did, one of the suspects fired at his head,” Wilburn said. “Luckily, the bullet only grazed his head.”

Just as the shot was fired, Wilburn said, an alarm clock went off somewhere in the house and scared off the intruders, who immediately fled from the home, their pockets stuffed with jewelry.

“The suspects must have thought someone else was in the house,” Wilburn said. “That was incredibly lucky timing for the victim. He's lucky to be alive. If that alarm clock hadn't gone off, no telling what could have happened.”

Wilburn said alert neighbors spotted the lookout as well as the other two suspects as they came running out of the house and called police.

Patrol Officer K. York responded immediately, Wilburn said, and broadcast a description of the suspects and their vehicle.

“Bicycle Officer Jason MacAllister spotted the vehicle on Kingowod Drive at Lake Houston Parkway,” Wilburn said.

The officer chased the car on his bike, Wilburn said, and alerted other patrol units.

“You wouldn’t believe it, but they can get those bikes up to 45 miles per hour,” Wilburn said. “The vehicle was stopped by MacAllister and Patrol Officer Chad Nichols and the suspects were taken into custody without incident.”

Wilburn said the three teenagers were later positively identified by the victim as well as the neighbors who watched them make their getaway.

All three, Wilburn said, were charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. The stolen property was returned to the victim, who was treated at an area hospital for his head wound and later released.

“We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have a good crew here in Kingwood,” Wilburn said. “I have been here for 10 years, and every time something major happened here, the suspects were always caught.”

Sphere: Related Content