Houston crime: Man forced entry to home, terrorized and sexually assaulted family member
HOUSTON - Houston police are actively searching for a man connected to a robbery and home invasion that occurred in north Houston.
According to HPD Chief Troy Finner, around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, a man entered a grocery store in the 11000 block of Airline Drive by using the business's back dumpster chute. Officials say he had two guns and approached two employees, demanding money from the cash registers.
When police arrived, they believed he was still in the store, but he was able to escape before SWAT could set up a perimeter.
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SWAT officers gained access to the store's video system and saw he left through the back of the store at the same time officers first arrived on the scene. The suspect was seen wearing a blue apron and a white cloth covering his face as he made his escape on a bicycle, heading eastbound on West Road.
Chief Finner says about 30 minutes later, the same man forced entry at gunpoint into a nearby neighborhood home in the Airline Drive and West Road area. He then terrorized the family and sexually assaulted a family member. Finner reports he stole personal belongings from the homeowner when he left.
Authorities believe this is not his first crime, and he is probably associated with other crimes.
According to Chief Finner, the man is described as a Hispanic male with a Spanish-speaking accent. He's around 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. At the time of the incident, he was seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, black shoes adorned with a white stripe, and a black and red baseball-style cap.
The suspect currently remains at large.
Residents in the area of Airline Drive and West Road are asked to check their surveillance cameras to see if they possibly caught the suspect on video.
Finner wanted to directly speak to the immigrant population in Houston saying, "Whenever you're a victim of a crime or a witness of a crime, it’s no issue with your status. We could care less. We will protect you," Finner stated.
Anyone possessing information regarding the identity or whereabouts of the suspect or any information pertinent to this case is strongly encouraged to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 713-308-0700 or to report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
CrimeStoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that helps lead to the arrest of the suspect. Tilman Fertitta also offered an additional $20,000, totaling the reward amount to $25,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect.