TV News Houston

SHOES CAUSE NEAR RIOT CONDITIONS AT DEERBROOK MALL

There was mayhem at an Humble mall as a crowd got unruly while waiting in line to purchase a high-dollar pair of sneakers. Police were called out to Deerbrook Mall before the sun came up as hundreds converged on the mall, hoping to be among the first to get their hands on the latest Nike Air Jordans.

More than 500 people lined up outside the mall. So many people that a fight broke out when some people were apparently trying to get ahead in line. Some glass doors were even broken.

They were all in line waiting for the most sought after shoe of the season.

"There are Jordans that just came out, the Cool Grays," said eyewitness Trevon Davis.

"Some people didn’t get a chance to get in," said witness Aaron Perkins.

But not everyone was waiting patiently and when the malls planned to open at 6am, it began to go awry.

"They are bomb rushing, running in, and pushing in everybody out the way in line so they can get them or get a chance to get them," said Davis.

"People got pushed down the stairs. I saw it," said another eyewitness.

Multiple Harris County sheriff’s deputies and Precinct 4 deputies, Humble Police officers and Metro Police officers converged on the mall to keep everyone in order.

K-9 units were deployed in the mall along with officers geared in assault gear including helmets, vests and carrying AR-15 weapons.

Just before 6am as officers discovered some people already in the mall who had either broken in or hid in the mall through the night Channel 13’s helicopter made a low pass. That’s when police officers were really surprised at the number of people on the roof of the mall. One officer said the suspects on the roof thought it to be a police helicopter and fled their positions.

Police also praised the wrecker drivers who responded to the officers needing help in a show of force.

At this point officers blocked all entrances to the mall not allowing any access and the opening time was moved from 6am to 9am.

In all over 40 patrol cars from various agencies fortified the police line. Officers on their PA systems warning people to stay in their vehicle or be arrested.

By mid-morning, the crowd was under control and all that waiting was apparently worth it as some walked out with the sought-after $200 Air Jordans.

There was no word of any major injuries.

 

FATAL HOUSE FIRE IN GRANGERLAND

At 10:04 this morning firefighters were dispatched to 17092 Red Leaf in the Grangerland area for a reported structure fire. The first fire equipment on the scene  was Grangerland engine 81.

A female across the street advised there was a baby inside. Jimmy Cox with Precinct 4 Constables Office was the first law enforcement officer to arrive on the scene followed by two Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies.

As firefighters began their entry into the inferno all others were attempting to find a way into the child. At this point the home was almost totally engulfed. An approximately 50-year-old man who was watching the child heard the dog bark then heard the fire and attempted to extinguish it. The fire became to large and he was forced to back out leaving the child inside.

When firefighters first made entry the flames were so intense that they appeared to just be walking right into the flames. With one hose line in hand and still other fire units enroute they entered the front door of the inferno having to navigate across collapsed floors into the living area.

Once inside the fire became so intense that  River Plantation Assistant Chief Farthing was actually fighting the fire from within the fire as it flashed over him. Farthing suffered steam burns to his back, his gear was damaged significantly.

Within approximately ten minutes the child was found in the front bedroom.

The caretaker was transported to Hermann Hospital in Houston with minor burns and smoke inhalation.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office, ATF and the District Attorney’s Office is investigating the fire.

The child 2-year-old Jaiden Cole was pronounced dead on the scene by Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace, James Metts. He ordered the child be transported to Dallas for autopsy.

At the time of the fire the childs father Jason Cole and his mother were both at work in Houston.  The childs siblings a 16-year-old brother, a 14-year-old sister, a 9-year-old brother and a 6-year-old brother were in school at the time of the fire.

There were no working smoke detectors in the home.

The family had no insurance on the rental home and have lost everything. Just before Christmas is especially hard.

Please open your hearts to this family and show them the community does care and are there for them.

I will be working on getting some information on sizes, etc and a drop off location or an account for the family.

 

SERIOUS ACCIDENT CLOSES FM1314 THIS MORNING

Just after 2am Thursday morning Porter Fire Department was dispatched to a major accident at FM 1314 and Gene Campbell. Upon arrival they found a commercial mini-van on it’s side in the northbound lane and an SUV in the south bound lane with heavy rear damage.  The driver of the van which had sustained heavy front end damage was trapped in his vehicle. He was conscious and talking. The victim of the SUV was also conscious and was taken to Hermann Woodlands in stable condition.

Crews worked for over thirty minutes to free the driver of the mini-van. He was in serious condition and PHI Air Medical was requested to the scene. Porter Fire Department requested a second rescue truck from their department to assist with man power on the extensive extrication.

Once freed he was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

According to DPS the SUV was northbound  on FM 1314 and was stopped for the red light at Gene Campbell. The mini-van slammed into the rear end of the SUV spinning  it in circles and into the other lane. The impact was so hard it split the rear axle of the SUV in two and broke the drive shaft out of it. The van, which was heavily loaded with tools flipped onto it’s side.

DPS believes alcohol was a factor in the accident.

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HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Memorial Service took place on Saturday at the Houston Frire Department Retirement Center near Bush Airport. Due to the weather the event was moved indoors. Besides the Memorial the new funeral coach was blessed.
The video is 41 minutes long and ends with interviews with Jay Evans and Kevin Kulow’s father.

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BEER TRUCK CLOSES US 59

MARCH 19, 2010-CLEVELAND, TX.-Just after 3:30am Friday an 18-wheeler owner by Navaho Trucking was northbound on US59 coming from Anheiser Brewery in Houston and heading for Hot Springs, Arkansas. As he approached the first Cleveland exit he realized he had exited onto Business 59 he attempted to swerve back onto the main lanes. He was beyond the pavement and traveling at approximately 60 mph ran through the ditch flipping the big rig on its side.
The 21 tons on beer remained within the trailer. However there was a steady stream of beer flowing out.
Cleveland Police and Fire closed US 59 and diverted all traffic through Cleveland. Smith Heavy Duty Wrecker was on the scene and with the assistance of Milstead Heavy Duty, Milstead Environmental and air bags the vehicle was uprighted in approximately seven hours.
Just after dawn with a temperature change fog began rolling in adding to the traffic and rubber necking problem.
A minimal amount of oil and fuel were spilled allowing the freeway to be back open by noon.
The driven was treated for minor injuries.

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SHENANDOAH HOME DEPOT THIEF NABBED

Just after noon today loss prevention employees from the Home Depot on IH-45 at Tamina contacted Shenandoah Police in reference to a shoplifter in the store. As Shenandoah arrived the suspect Rolando Avila, age 30 ran out of the store and with loss prevention and police behind him ran to the Buffalo Wild Wings across the street. There he stashed his coat and tried to hide in the dumpster.
Police were able to locate his car in the parking lot. The keys for the Chevrolet Cavalier were in Avila’s possession.
Having consent to search the vehicle they found almost $800 worth of sabre saw blades and various other tools. When they opened the the trunk they found almost three times that much from other Home Depot Stores in the Houston and Spring Valley area.
The suspect had also removed the front and rear license plates of the vehicle.
In addition to the tools they found almost fifteen pounds of fajita meat on the floor board and even more saw blades wrapped in tin foil.
He also had what appeared to be a shopping list and doctor and lawyer contacts for workmans comp.
He was placed in custody and transported to the Montgomery County jail.
Detectives say this is not his first round as the charges will most likely be enhanced with the prior convictions.
Shenandoah is also working with other law enforcement agencies to determine if the cases from other Home Depot thefts are related.
Since Loss Prevention employees have started working in the Shenandoah store and the police department across the freeway from the store very few shoplifters are getting away.

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FATAL ACCIDENT LEE TURNER AND SH105

EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY – A major accident killed one adult, and critically injured an adult and an infant Thursday afternoon.
The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. on Hwy 105 E. at Lee Turner Rd. when an eastbound 2000 Ford Windstar mini-van tried to pass another eastbound vehicle on the shoulder, but lost control, spinning into the path of a westbound Borden’s Milk truck.
The Borden’s truck driven by Douglas Jeager, struck the passenger side of the van, killing the passenger Antonia Pacheco-Lara, of Shepard and seriously injuring the driver Hermelinea Garcia-Gomez 31 of Shepard. The 13-month-old child which was the daughter of the deceased was ejected from a child safety seat, traveling through a window and landing on the ground.
MCHD medics arrived, along with Cut and Shoot, North Montgomery County and Splendora Fire Departments.
PHI Air Medical transported the female driver to the Texas Medical Center in Houston. A Life Flight medical helicopter was dispatched for the baby, but medics later determined the child’s injuries were too severe to fly and a ground ambulance was used instead.
The Borden’s driver sustained only minor injuries.
Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace James Metts conducted an inquest and ordered an autopsy.
Hwy 105 E. remained closed until just after 5 p.m. as DPS and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office investigated and documented the crash site.
It was the second fatal accident on the roadway in the last few weeks.

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RUSK COUNTY EXORCISM JURY PICKED IN CONROE

CONROE – The jury selection process began on Wednesday for the capital murder trial of a Rusk County man charged in the brutal beating death of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter on Dec. 2, 2008 during what authorities say was an attempted exorcism by the couple.
Blaine Keith Milam, 20, of Henderson is charged with Capital Murder of a person under six years of age.
The child’s mother, 20-year-old Jessica Bain Carson, will be tried separately, charged with the same crime.
Officials say the couple called 911 around 10:30 a.m. that Tuesday morning, saying Amora Bain Carson was not breathing. Sheriff’s deputies responded and found the child dead, with evidence of blunt force trauma all over her body, accompanied by dozens of human bite marks.
Detectives later determined little Amora was beaten with a hammer.
Some news reports claimed the couple took tools to a pawn shop to try and get enough money to pay a priest to perform an exorcism on Amora, but were unsuccessful and decided to handle it themselves. Other reports stated the toddler was already dead when they tried to get the money to pay a professional to perform the task.
Some say if justice were done in a previous case, Milam would not have been around any child. According to court records, in August of 2008, less than four months before Amora’s murder, Milam was convicted of first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault of a different child in the 4th District Court of Henderson. He was sentenced to five years confinement, but he was given a suspended sentence, which released him on probation instead of placing him behind bars. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Sex Offender Registry lists Milam as “high risk.”
Both Milam and Carson have remained in jail since their arrest in 2008.
District Judge Clay Gossett ordered a change of venue for Milam’s trial last year, citing too much publicity in the county where the crime occurred. Of the 1,500 potential jurors summoned in Montgomery County, 533 appeared on Wednesday, 109 were excused and by Thursday, 424 were qualified.
Gossett said most jurors excused because they had some knowledge or opinion of the case. Individual questioning of prospective jurors is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but the trial is not expected to begin until May.
Milam’s attorney, Rick Hagan, said he expects jury selection to take about two months. Hagan was appointed by a Justice of the Peace in Rusk County three days after the murder.
Hagan could say little more, since Gossett has issued a gag order for everyone involved in the case.

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TDC GUARD FOUND DEAD IN BED

Liberty County Officials are being quite tight lipped about the discovery of a TDC Official found dead at his home on County Road 2243 on Thursday morning. Ronnie Pechacek was found in bed of his wood frame home just east of the Cleveland airport. Detective remained on the scene for several hours. According to officials he was handcuffed over his to the headboard of his bed. A ruling will be made once an autopsy is done.

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HOMEOWNER SHOOTS MAN TRYING TO GET INTO HOME

PORTER – Neighbors trying to help neighbors is usually a happy occasion, but it led to a shooting in East Montgomery County Wednesday night.
Around 11 p.m., a homeowner in the 24900 block of Lynn Lane heard a disturbance outside and opened his front door to find his neighbor was being assaulted by the neighbor’s 26-year-old son.
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The homeowner yelled at the attacker, who then began kicking the homeowner’s car. The homeowner’s wife called 911 just as the 26-year-old jumped their fence and began to approach the couple’s front door. The homeowner went back inside his home, slamming the door shut. The enraged 26-year-old then began trying to kick in the door.
The homeowner grabbed a 9mm pistol and shot through the door, striking the 26-year-old once in the chest. The wounded man ran back to his house and was on his porch when officers from the Pct. 4 Constable’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived.
MCHD EMS transported the wounded man to a Life Flight medical helicopter which took him to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. He is expected survive.
The homeowner has not been charged.
As of this writing, names were unavailable.
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