HOUSTON TODDLER KILLED IN CARJACKING

The Houston Chronicle ^ | 14 June 2006

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Police are searching for two men who carajcked a family's SUV overnight and then ran over the family's toddler as they took off, according to television news reports this morning. The theft happened on Jensen near Sadler in northeast Houston as the father pulled into a car wash parking lot to use a payphone. He was then approached by two men, who demanded money and then the family's SUV. The suspects allegedly told everyone to get out of the car, including three young children.

Police told television reporters that the child was run over in the confusion. The toddler was reportedly about to celebrate her second birthday in just a few days. She was taken to the hospital where she died. Police are looking for suspects in the stolen white Chevy Suburban with license plate number 13BNW2. The family described the suspects as two black males, in their mid-20s.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

It doesn't matter what ethnicity any of them were. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Trial, conviction and hanging for running over the child.

[humblegunner]

Ah, so now you know this guy is a coward? Does the fact that he didn't kill both guys or get killed himself make him a coward in your eyes? Should he have attacked the guys and gotten killed even if he wasn't armed (it sounds like he wasn't)? Would that have made him a hero?

The guy made bad mistakes.

I know that part of town, I know that particular car wash and the convenience store adjacent.

It is poorly-to-non lit and covered with gang grafitti, an ambush waiting to happen.

Awareness of one's surroundings is key, preparedness no less so.

I also happen to know Eaker pretty well and I can say with a quite
high degree of certainty he would not have been in that position in
the first place but had he been, the outcome would have been quite different.

[Eaker]

You too Bro.

My wife TheMom would have been packing too.

She and I have been together twice when my training and the possession of a hand gun changed the outcome of an event.

Lord only knows how often both of our pre-planning, training and situation awareness has prevented a problem.

Both my kids shoot too.

[blam]

"The family described the suspects as two black males, in their mid-20s."

Who would have guessed?

Bring back the military draft and these animals would have been doing push-ups instead of injuring civilized people.

[blam]

"We, in Houston, can't ignore the fact that New Orleans had the highest crime rate in the country...and we can't ignore the fact that many of that cities hardened criminals were relocated here on the tax payers dime."

Alabama Republican Governator Bob Riley required a back-ground check before he would accept any evacuees. We eventually took 23,000 I've read. All the 'bad-guys' went somewhere else...sounds like Houston.

[daybreakcoming]

Good catch there Randall.
I think most of Houston is aware of the Houston Comical's leanings (your catch here is certainly more proof) and we have grown weary of it. Hence, the low circulation rate these days.

[Gone GF]

"She and I have been together twice when my training and the possession of a hand gun changed the outcome of an event.

Lord only knows how often both of our pre-planning, training and situation awareness has prevented a problem."

I'm curious now as to where you all live. I don't personally carry a gun and I've had none of this situation training or awareness training. I don't "pre-plan" (I also don't EVER stop in an obviously bad area like this guy did and I do keep my eyes peeled). Despite all this carelessness and lack of training on my part, I've never had a problem with anyone anywhere. I've never been robbed, mugged, carjacked, or even threatened, and I used to be a cops reporter for a newspaper, which did take me into some tough areas sometimes. You all must travel or live or work in some mighty rough neighborhoods.

[Gone GF]

Sorry, should have included you in my last post.

I'm curious now as to where you all live. I don't personally carry a gun and I've had none of this situation training or awareness training. I don't "pre-plan" (I also don't EVER stop in an obviously bad area like this guy did and I do keep my eyes peeled). Despite all this carelessness and lack of training on my part, I've never had a problem with anyone anywhere. I've never been robbed, mugged, carjacked, or even threatened, and I used to be a cops reporter for a newspaper, which did take me into some tough areas sometimes. You all must travel or live or work in some mighty rough neighborhoods.

I would agree that this guy made a bad mistake. Not sure why he took his wife and kids to use the phone unless he was thinking they might all have to head to the hospital.

[Eaker]

Look pal, I have traveled both America and internationally and have found that the world is a dangerous place. You burying your head in the sand doesn't change this fact.

Most people are robbed, raped, car jacked, assaulted or killed only once. Except for the last the vast majority go from your mind set to mine. I am smart enough to train and prepare to have the upper hand in all situations.

I bet you don't have a can of tire inflator and a 12vdc air pump in all of your vehicles. I keep mine next to the small tool kit, flash light and first aid kit.

At home I have a fully stocked first aid kit, fire extinguishers, effective door locks, a well stocked pantry, hurricane preparedness materials and countless other boy scout stuff.

If nothing bad happens what have I lost? If SHTF you will be in the pathetic group of people that I won't help and will be capable of stopping if you decide to take what you want.

I have an obligation to protect my family. That obligation includes staying alive so that I can support and protect them.

You seem to think that I am extreme, I think that you have some growing up to do.

As to where the incidents took place, the first was about 8:00pm in downtown Houston. I was buying fuel and two guys decided that they wanted my silver. The .357 in my hand offered them lead. They made the decision that they could live without either. Bad neighborhood.

The second time was loading groceries in my upper middle class neighborhood at about 10:00pm. We were walking out and my wife asked my if I had spotted the guy meandering across the parking lot toward us. I nodded yes. She started loading the groceries and I just leaned against the car watching him with a smile on my face. He got up to about 25 feet away, which is my limit then stopped. He just looked at me and I winked at him. He realized that he was about a second from a dirt nap and fled.

You would have failed both tests and I have a couple of stories with happy endings to tell. My friends have the same mind set.

[dfwgator]

Just shoot them now, and save us the expense of a trial.

[Gone GF]

"I bet you don't have a can of tire inflator and a 12vdc air pump in all of your vehicles."

How much were you betting? You lose.

"At home I have a fully stocked first aid kit, fire extinguishers, effective door locks, a well stocked pantry, hurricane preparedness materials and countless other boy scout stuff."

Well good golly gosh, I have the same. Except hurricanes aren't much of a problem here. Neither are tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires or blizzards. I choose to live in an area that's not prone to this stuff. I consider that part of good planning.

"You seem to think that I am extreme, I think that you have some growing up to do."

I just think you're paranoid or should move to a safer area.

"As to where the incidents took place, the first was about 8:00pm in downtown Houston. I was buying fuel and two guys decided that they wanted my silver. The .357 in my hand offered them lead. They made the decision that they could live without either. Bad neighborhood."

I choose not to live in a dangerous and crappy city like Houston. Part of the way I protect MY family is to live in a relatively safe place that's not prone to natural disasters. And I certainly wouldn't stop in a dangerous downtown neighbohood for fuel. Did you not plan ahead and had to stop in a bad area before you ran out of gas? Your dumb mistake. Or were you just feeling macho and hoping for a confrontation?

"We were walking out and my wife asked my if I had spotted the guy meandering across the parking lot toward us. I nodded yes."

This requires no special training whatsoever, just plain old common sense. There's no special trick to letting scum know you're aware of them. And that's almost always all you need.

"You would have failed both tests..."

I hope you weren't betting again. If you were, you've lost twice.

[Eaker]

You have proven yourself to be an idiot.

Now you are piling on. Give yourself a break.

Further, there is nowhere "safe". Second, I think you are lying on practically everything that you have stated in this post concerning your preparedness and you see relatively nothing.

Carry your lube as your time will come.

[Allegra]

I choose not to live in a dangerous and crappy city like Houston.

Huoston is not a "crappy" city and it's no more dangerous than any other metropolis. In fact, its crime rate is lower than some smaller cities and would likely be even lower had we not demonstrated the kindness that comes naturally to Houstonians last September.

But we Houstonians are mighty thankful that you choose not to live there.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Just wanted to post to you before your moniker is no longer found here. :|

[evets]

HPD arrests 3 in carjacking death

[deport]

Police arrest suspects in toddler carjacking death

12:17 PM CDT on Friday, June 16, 2006

From 11 News Staff reports

Chau Nguyen's 11 News report | Wendell Edwards' 11 News Report

Houston police Thursday said they had three suspects in custody in connection with the death of a toddler run over by fleeing carjackers Wednesday.

HPD

HPD released these sketches of the two suspects.

The suspects were being questioned Thursday night but had not been charged, according to HPD.

They are in police custody and could be charged sometime Friday afternoon.

Stephanie Garcia, who would have turned 2 next month, died after she was rushed to the hospital.

“My daughter is in heaven now. I have to be strong for my other children who are very young...they still don’t know about the accident,” said the girl’s mother, Marisela Vargas.

Mayor Bill White rode along with HPD on Thursday night with officers from the northeast substation. He said 20 people from the homicide division had been assigned to the case.

"We have some dedciated people working on this in homicide, and they're leaving no stone unturned, so I think they feel as though there's been real progress made," Mayor White said.

Houston police said the family had stopped at the Sparkle car wash in the 8200 block of Jensen to use a pay phone just before midnight Tuesday.

The victim's uncle said the family doesn't have a phone at home, and little Stephanie Garcia's father wanted to check on his mother, who is in a Houston hospital. The family lives near the car wash.

Two men approached the father at the phone, demanding money.

"He put the gun in front of his face, you know," Primitibo Medina, the victim's uncle, said.

HPD

Stephanie Garcia

When he told them he didn’t have any money, the suspects went over to the vehicle where the mother and children were. She told them she didn't have any money, and the suspects started removing the couple’s four young children from the Chevrolet Suburban.

Then the situation turned tragic when the suspects ran over Garcia in their haste to get away.

The other family members were not injured.

Police found the Suburban, which belongs to the father's boss, abandoned in northwest Houston in the Acres Homes area. It was in a field just west of the intersection of Shepherd and West Montgomery.

Medina said the suspects picked the wrong guy.

"It's poor people, you know, they work every day; he's a bricklayer for construction," Medina said. "Very nice people."

"Very bad," said Efraim Garcia, another uncle who doesn't speak English. But the sadness on his face spoke volumes.

Bloodhounds are in the field trying to track where the suspects went next. HPD is taking fingerprints from the vehicle.

[piytar]

Better watch out. The DA says that he doesn't care what state law says about carrying a gun in your glove compartment. He plans to prosecute drivers.

You talking about that asshole Chuck Rosenthal? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1473335/posts

Sounds like a violation of civil rights under color of law to me. That's covered under 18 USC 242. Penalties range from 1 year in prison to death, depending on the facts. Dumbass DA better be careful, he probably wouldn't last the year in prison.