News from May 15 to 21: Teen killed in chase, UT Austin graduate flips across stage, 'Gas Can Man' in Houston
HOUSTON - There's been a lot of things going on in the Houston area and across Texas this past week.
During the week of May 15 to 21, a teen expected to graduate from Cleveland ISD was killed after a police pursuit ended in a crash, the Texas House advanced a bill after removing references to drag and instead keeping language to ban sexual performances in front of minors, and a family took action to sue Marathon Galveston Bay refinery after their loved one died in a chemical fire at the facility.
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Here's a compilation of a few of the news stories from this week.
CHASE TURNS DEADLY: Teen killed after pursuit in Montgomery County, expected to walk at graduation Thursday
Teen killed after police chase ends in crash in Montgomery County was going to walk in graduation days later
A deadly crash in Montgomery County involved several teens, leaving one of them dead. FOX 26's Natalie Hee reports on how deputies were able to track down the 29-year-old driver who left the crime scene.
A high-speed chase in Montgomery County on Sunday involving teenagers ended with one dead and two others in handcuffs. 19-year-old Anthony Figueroa in Cleveland, Texas was going more than 100 miles per hour and was being pulled over but refused to stop, so a police chase ensued. Figueroa took the North Washington exit, but due to the curve and how fast he was going, the vehicle crashed into the embankment, ejecting one of the passengers, Julio Uribe, 18, and killing him.
Meanwhile, another passenger, William Arledge Jr., 17, was found in the car and taken into custody by a deputy, while the driver fled the scene. Cleveland ISD confirmed Uribe was a student in the district. Officials say he graduated from Douglas Learning Academy last December and was supposed to walk at graduation this Thursday. The school district says they plan to honor Uribe at this week's graduation ceremony. Figueroa is expected to face murder charges and Arledge Jr. is cooperating with investigators and no charges have been filed according to Texas DPS.
UT Austin graduate viral flip, death drop on graduation stage is one to remember
One Texas graduate is going viral for the way they owned their walk across the stage for their diploma! The University of Texas at Austin held its graduation ceremonies the first week of May for their various colleges and university-wide. On May 5, the university's College of Fine Arts ceremony was being held at Bass Concert Hall, and as seen from Rayce Risch's viral TikTok video, he couldn't wait to cross the stage.
Video showed the graduate doing an aerial flip before he ended in a death drop in the middle of the stage. Risch slid across the floor in one last move to retrieve his cap that fell off then went to shake the dean's hand.
Texas legislature: House advances bill after removing drag reference, would ban 'lewd' acts in front of minors
Texas Senate Bill (SB) 12 passed to the third reading on Friday and continues on its path toward the Governor’s Desk. SB 12 bans certain sexually oriented performances from being done in front of minor children under 18-years-old on public property and on the premises of a commercial business.
The offense for performing a sexual performance in front of a minor will be a Class A misdemeanor and anyone who commits the offense could face up to one year in jail and/or a maximum fine of $4,000.
Marathon Galveston Bay refinery fire: Family of worker who died, attorney announces court filing
A Marathon Galveston Bay refinery employee died in a fire at a refinery unit in Texas City on May 15. The family of the worker, Scott Higgins, who died in the fire remembered him as "a man with strong morals, endless determination, and a dedication to doing what's right." Plant officials released the following statement in regard to the employee's death:
"We are deeply saddened to report that a Marathon employee has passed away as a result of the fire today at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery. We extend our deepest sympathies to our employee’s family, friends and co-workers, and our thoughts are with them as we all mourn his passing. The safety of our workers and the community is our top priority, and a full investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident."
Higgins family is demanding answers and filed a petition in a Harris County state court that names Marathon and an inspection company with Attorney Tony Buzbee.
Aggressive panhandler dubbed 'Gas Can Man' back working on Houston streets
A local Houston panhandler referred to as the "Gas Can Man" is back working, carrying a red gas can and behaving aggressively, even violently when people turn down his requests for money or a ride.
"He’s using that gas can to convince people that he probably has a vehicle that’s stranded," said Harris County Constables Pct. 2 Lt. Marco Leal. "He’s probably giving you the sad story, when really in fact there’s no story behind it. He’s just taking the public for a ride."
There was one instance a man denied the Gas Can Man for a ride and he spit on the man’s car. He even threw rocks at it.
Houston Police Department Sgt. Kendrick Simpo receives Medal of Valor from President Biden
Houston Police Department Sergeant Kendrick Simp was awarded The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor from President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday. In February 2022, while Sergeant Simpo was working an extra job at the Galleria Mall, he heard a call over the radio saying that a suspect was armed with a rifle.
Sgt. Simpo quickly responded and spotted the suspect within a few feet of hundreds of children and their families who were participating in a dance competition. Simpo was able to tackle the armed suspect without a single shot being fired
After the suspect was arrested, he was found to have more than 120 rounds of ammunition and a handgun, which could have led to a much different outcome if not for Sergeant Simpo's quick action and exemplary bravery. Sergeant Simpo is the first HPD officer to receive this distinguished honor.