Bicyclists brutally attacked, 1 shot along popular bike trail, 2 left hospitalized

HOUSTON - Some bicyclists have a warning for Houston residents after several were viciously attacked and some left hospitalized. One man was even shot just Monday night.

MORE: Houston man on bike shot on Columbia Tap trail in Third Ward

In the last two weeks, five bicyclists have been brutally attacked on the Columbia Tap Bike Trail in the Greater Third Ward area. One man assaulted over the holiday weekend is still hospitalized. Another man was shot yesterday on Memorial Day. 

The 57-year-old man who was targeted Saturday has bicycled on the Columbia Tap trail for years but never has his bike ride ended like this, with 4 broken ribs and fighting for his life in ICU after he was tackled from his bike, pistol whipped in the head so hard it broke his bicycle helmet and he was robbed of his wallet and phone. 

A similar attack happened to another bicyclist I interviewed.

"I thought I was slowing down for them to cross, and then they hit me in the head with a shovel, and then when I was laying down they hit me again," he said. "Then they took my bike."

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Neither victim wants to be identified.

Houston police investigators say a group of 4 to 6 young men, maybe teens are attacking bicyclists along the Columbia Tap Trail.

"If we can get them identified and charged maybe that would bring some peace back to this trail," says Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite.

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Five men have been violently assaulted in just two weeks. The last two are the most severely injured. The one attacked Saturday is still in the hospital. The cyclist hit on Memorial Day was shot in the leg and survived.

HPD is also stepping up patrols. 

"We’re going to have marked patrol cars, some officers in uniform, some officers on foot, we have officers on bike," Satterwhite explains. "We will also have officers on ATV’s and some undercover."

"We will not rest until we stop them because human life is very important, not just the victims’ but theirs as well, and we want them to change the course of their lives," adds Houston City Councilwoman Carolyn Evans-Shabazz.

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At least two of the attacks happened in broad daylight. The Columbia Tap Trail runs 4 miles from 288 to Downtown.