Cashier shot during armed robbery at McDonald’s in southwest Houston

HOUSTON -- A McDonald's employee was shot in the stomach during an armed robbery in southwest Houston. It happened on Feb. 8 in the 10000 block of Beechnut near Wilcrest.

Surveillance video shows a mother at the McDonald's counter with her child in her arms. Feet away, three masked gunmen storm the restaurant. They put a gun to the mother's head. We spoke to the woman's husband who was sitting in the car outside.

"My wife went inside to get food for the kids. I was looking down and I heard a gunshot go off. When I looked up, I saw a man in between the tables with a gun pointing," said the witness. You can also see a 7-year-old boy playing in the video when the men stormed the place.

"My son was by the toy display, looking at the happy meal toys. He was looking at the animated cups," said the witness. He quickly ran to his mother where they ducked for cover. Right after, an employee was shot in the stomach. You can see the shooter with the gun.

"The employee who was shot was working the front register. As he was backing away, he may have been moving to slow for the suspect," said HPD Officer George Collin Craig.

The manager then was held at gun point while the gunmen cleaned out the cash register. While the robbery was happening, dad was waiting in the car and started panicking.

"I thought they shot my wife and kids. So at that moment I drove around to look for the criminal and thought I will run him over. Three came out with guns," said the witness.

The McDonald's robbery happened just hours after a T-Mobile store was robbed. That happened just a few blocks away. That happened in broad daylight with several customers inside. Shots were fired.

"They're showing a complete disregard for life at this point, they're firing weapons at employees," said the officer. Over at the McDonald's, customers are left nervous. "We eat here almost every day because I don't cook," said Germaine Duncan.

The suspects took off in a silver colored 4-door sedan. The McDonald's employee is undergoing surgery. Call Crime Stoppers with any information at 713-222-TIPS. You can remain anonymous and receive a $5,000 reward.

Robbery suspect fatally shot at credit union in Brookshire

BROOKSHIRE, TX -- An officer-involved shooting outside a credit union in Brookshire, just west of Houston, claimed the life of a would-be robber. It happened Friday afternoon at the First Service Credit Union on 5th Street near Waller Avenue.

"Two or three shots, and then a rapid succession of shots, and then there was one final shot," witness Tom Knapp said.

The credit union's CEO said an off-duty police officer was inside the building working an extra job as a security guard when a suspect entered the lobby at about 2pm. The panic alarm was triggered and the officer tried to stop the suspect.

"The officer then chased the male outside, advised him to stop. The suspect turned with his weapon. The officer engaged that person," Brookshire Police Department Sgt. Jason Whittington said.

The officer fired multiple times, killing the man. The suspect did not fire a shot. No one else was injured. David Bleazard, CEO of First Service Credit Union, expressed relief that no one else was hurt in the incident.

"You can do many things to try to mitigate the risks, but when you're dealing with money, there's always a risk, of someone who is determined, who can hold you up and put your employees' lives at risk," Bleazard said. "I never take that for granted."

The officer, who has been with Brookshire PD for just under two years, is now on administrative leave. The bank is closed for now.

"We're very concerned that our employees, having been through a traumatic experience, that emotionally they're OK, that they're physically OK," Bleazard said. The identities of the 49-year-old suspect and the officer have not been released. The investigation is ongoing.

Conroe teacher accused of leaving chicks in the woods to die

CONROE -- Conroe ISD police are investigating how dozens of chicks in the agriculture department of a local high school wound up dead. Eyewitness News has learned a former FFA teacher is under investigation.

It’s an unusual case unfolding at Oak Ridge High School. The chicks were supposed to be shown at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

"To see what I saw, it's heartbreaking," said Oak Ridge FFA student Haley Castro. Castro says she found 50 chicks Wednesday night that had been discarded in the woods near the FFA barn. She saved 13, but 37 froze to death.

Her FFA teacher, who is no longer at the school, is accused of dumping them. "It was very difficult as an ag student and being in FFA, having your ag teachers tell you love your animals and to have someone do this on our property, it's really heartbreaking," said Castro.

Parents and students tell us the teacher who'd been there for about three years had just sent a letter to students and parents saying she would not be teaching there after February 3. Wednesday night's discovery has many wondering about a motive.

"You don't do that to innocent little chicks," said FFA student Dustin Garrison. "You have them for one day and you throw them out in the woods? You just don't do that."

We are not naming the teacher, since she is not charged, but a Precinct 4 livestock officer and Conroe ISD police are both investigating the case. For FFA students, it is news that's very hard to take. "I want justice to be given to that person," said Castro.

A Conroe ISD spokesperson released the following statement: "The incident is currently under investigation by the Conroe ISD police department. The teacher notified the Oak Ridge High School principal yesterday of the resignation." 

North Houston police chase ends in shootout, killing burglary suspect

HOUSTON -- Authorities are investigating after a burglary suspect was fatally shot by a Houston Police Department officer following a police chase in north Houston.

It happened the 10 block of Joy Circle near Greens point Mall. Police say the suspect had carjacked someone then robbed a Subway store at gunpoint.

A description of the suspect and stolen car was given out, and eventually officers spotted the suspect driving north on Greens point Drive. A chase ensued and the suspect crashed out. He ran out of vehicle, exchanged fire with an HPD officer and ran off.

The suspect then jumped a fence and encountered another HPD officer. Authorities say the suspect threatened to kill that officer, and more shots were exchanged. That officer shot the suspect, killing him.

Neither officer was injured in the shootout. Authorities say the incident started in Houston but ended in the jurisdiction of the Harris County Sheriff's Office so both agencies are on scene investigating.

Harris County Attorney arrested for aggravated assault

HOUSTON -- The Harris County Attorney's Office says it is looking into the arrest of one of its attorneys who is accused of assault.

Tomball police arrested Susan Sciacca for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Friday.

Sciacca works for the Harris County Attorney's Office as an attorney in the protective services family division.

The attorney's office would not give the details on their investigation; they would only say they "are aware of the situation. Our office is reviewing this matter."

19-year-old wounded in drive-by shooting in NW Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A 19-year-old man is expected to survive after being shot in the face during a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon in northwest Harris County, deputies said.

According to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, the victim apparently stopped off to visit his grandmother and was walking home on North Meadow when something went terribly wrong.

“We were inside watching the game, and we heard what we thought was fireworks,” said neighbor Bruce Davenport. “A little while later, we came out, and there was police everywhere.”

“He was screaming on the ground. He was screaming and hollering, somebody help me,” said Richard Edwards, who lives across the street from where the shooting took place.

He had been shot three times – in his knee, elbow and face. Deputies did recover what appeared to be shell casings at the scene, the apparent result of a drive-by shooting.

The victim was unable to identify the shooter. Remarkably, in spite of a gunshot wound to the face, he is expected to make a full recovery.

Off-duty Prairie View police officer fatally shoots man in northwest Harris County parking lot

HOUSTON -- A confrontation between a man and an off-duty Prairie View police officer ended in a deadly shooting this weekend in northwest Harris County.

It happened just before 9pm at the parking lot of a Walgreen's on Veterans Memorial and Antoine Drive. Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies said the officer was working an extra security job at the business when a known theft suspect walked inside.

"The officer saw a suspect come into the business that had been known to pass bad checks back and forth," HCSO Dep. Thomas Gilliland said. According to investigators, the officer confronted the man in the parking lot, but the man struggled with him.

"The suspect fought with the officer," Gilliland said. "The officer then discharged his Taser, which was ineffective on the suspect." At that point, the man reportedly got into his car and tried to drive away, nearly hitting the officer in the process.

"The officer discharged his weapon, striking the vehicle multiple times," Gilliland said. Deputies said the suspect was shot at least once and lost control of the car. The vehicle crashed into a flower bed on the other side of the parking lot, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

We're told the officer was not in full uniform, but he was clearly identifiable as law enforcement. "He was off-duty, wearing a jacket that has Prairie View Police on it," Gilliland said. "Patches on both sides." No names have been released. Officials said the officer was not injured.

This case remains under investigation. So far, the officer has not been charged with a crime. HCSO will be working to determine whether the officer was justified in using deadly force.

HPD: Gunman flees with murder victim's fiancee after shooting in northeast Houston

HOUSTON -- A man is dead and police have labeled his fiancee a person of interest after she reportedly fled the scene with the shooter. Christmas at a home on Bobby Burns at Howton featured a big family gathering of close to 75 people, according to the Houston Police Department.

But when the celebration was over, things took a tragic turn. "It's very, very sad because I just got through talking to him and all his family was out here having a good time, and some tragedy like this happens," neighbor Gregory Brooks said.

According to police, it all started when 37-year-old Ronalee Deandre McGuire and his fiancee began to argue around 2:30am in a detached apartment behind the house.

"He gets out of bed; he was having an argument with his fiancee, and a black male enters and shoots him," HPD Sgt. Mark Holbrook said.

McGuire was pronounced dead when officers arrived. Police said his fiancee and the shooter both left the scene. "The entire family is just amazing people, and it's a tragedy right now that this happened on Christmas," family friend Herbert Journet said.

Inside the bedroom during the shooting, were four kids between the ages of eight and 13. "Two of them are his children; two of them are his nephews," Holbrook said. "Very sad, especially for that baby just out here crying; very sad, saying somebody killed his daddy," neighbor Vickie said.

"He takes care of his kids, and he was a good person. He was a good person," Brooks said. " I don't know why somebody would want to take his life like that." Detectives want to talk to McGuire's girlfriend and a young man who left the home just before police arrived; police are not calling them suspects.

"They've been dating for a while had a relatively stable relationship, we don't know how much she's involved in all of this but she did leave the scene right after it happened," Holbrook said.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts can call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Missouri City husband arrested in connection with wife's murder

HOUSTON – A husband wanted in connection with the murder of his wife Friday night in Missouri City was arrested Sunday morning, police have confirmed.

Lance Hilton, 45, has been charged with murder, according to the Houston Police Department. According to investigators, police were called to a home on Ridge Rock at Krause after 10:30 p.m. and found Marian Hilton lying dead in her bed.

Her young daughter, who is about 11, heard her parents arguing. She went downstairs to find her mother dead. On Saturday, police found Hilton’s car in southeast Houston. The couple had been married for about five years.

Marian Hilton worked in the records department at Methodist Hospital in the Medical Center downtown. She has three daughters and two grandchildren. Her grandson was born a month ago.

Teacher accused of groping students faced similar claims in 2011

HOUSTON -- Ysidoro Rosales-Motola is facing felony charges stemming from claims by more than one student at Sharpstown High School.

Now a former student at Westbury High School said he made similar complaints about Rosales-Motola in 2011. Police investigated but at that time the district attorney's office said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute.

HISD reassigned Rosales-Motola to non-classroom duties after the most recent claims surfaced in October. He was arrested Friday at a motel where police said he was hiding, and since then he's been unable to post bond.

Principal arrested on Sharpstown HS campus, accused of failing to report child abuse

 HOUSTON -- An HISD high school principal has been arrested, accused of failing to report child abuse. The district sent out a release late Thursday afternoon, stating Sharpstown High School principal Rob Gasparello was arrested on campus.

Gasparello was in a 2012 PBS documentary called "Drop Out Nation." His mission has been to keep kids in school, kids like Connor Gerber. 

"He tried to be active in everyone's academic life, tried to make things better for all of us," Gerber said. But his reputation is now on the line after Gasparello was arrested Thursday afternoon for failing to report child abuse.

"Mr. Gasaparello was arrested and my mouth was just open," Sharptown parent Tonya Jones said. Jones found out from a recorded phone call sent out to all the parents. District officials also stated more administrators are expected to be arrested in connection with the child abuse but would not elaborate on any details.

"I feel like if someone did come to Mr. G and say, 'Mr. G I'm getting abused at home,' or whatever, I feel that he would have done something about it," student Karencia Jones said.

Gasparello was gained national attention for his dedication to his students. He appeared on CNN and even was recognized by Governor Rick Perry and featured on the governor's YouTube page. "Parents like me need to really know the details of the situation. You can't really back someone unless you really know," Jones said.

The district also said the priority starting Friday will be to make sure things run smoothly and that learning continues without any interruptions. Additional administrators will be there to make sure that happens.

2 teen’s dead, community in shock after mass shooting at Cypress house party; Suspects remain at large

HOUSTON -- A community is in mourning after a mass shooting this weekend at a northwest Harris County home left nearly two dozen people shot and two teens killed, and authorities say two suspects are still on the loose.

At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia described the event as a "birthday party gone wild." The violence unfolded just before 11pm Saturday at a home in the 7300 block of Enchanted Creek Drive near FM 529.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says 20 people were shot, and two of those victims are dead. HCSO authorities tell us Queric Richardson, a 17-year-old student of Morton Ranch High School in Katy, died at the scene. A 16-year-old girl died after being transported to Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital. Her name has not been officially released.

Richardson's father, Laurence Guidry, is having a hard time understanding how his two sons went to the party, yet only one of them came home. "Queric didn't deserve this. He was just a child," Guidry said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Relatives told us Richardson, who would have turned 18 next week, was a good student and worked at a local Dairy Queen. His 16-year-old brother, Kenneth Guidry, was shot while trying to save him.

"He was shot 10 minutes before he even realized he was shot, trying to help his brother," their father said. Richardson's brother was one of 18 survivors who reportedly suffered gunshot wounds. A 19th victim has a broken leg, officials said.

Injuries range in severity. As of Sunday night, one person remained in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Sheriff Garcia said alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in the shootings, but the suspects may be gang-affiliated. No firearms have been recovered from the scene.

Boulden said she never expected this to happen at her birthday party. "My brother and them were patting people down. [The suspects] didn't want to get patted down and they walked off. And then I guess they came back and went through the gate," Boulden said. "They weren't supposed to be here, whoever they were."

There is an active search underway for two unidentified suspects -- ages 17 and 22. Anyone with information is asked to call HCSO Homicide at 713-967-5810 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Girlfriend of man accused of recording sex assault of young girls charged

HOUSTON -- A 42-year-old man is accused of molesting children as far back as 1999, and now his girlfriend is facing a felony charge in the case as well.

Julia Lack, girlfriend of Tad Costin, has been arrested. Detectives with the Pearland Police Department charged Lack with one count of possession of child pornography. The charge stems from evidence seized at Lack's residence earlier this week after the execution of a search warrant.

It was Lack's father who found the evidence that broke this case wide open. On Thursday, Benny Lack broke his silence and opened up about the disturbing discovery his wife made in their home.

"It's just like making us look like we're the bad people," he said. "I walked in there and it was sick. I couldn't even look at it all the way through." What he saw were videos and images of Lack's boyfriend, Tad Costin, allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a number of little girls. Some wearing Disney nightgowns. The videos, Lack says, were on a telephone SIM card that was stashed away in a box of his daughter's belongings.

"Once I seen it, I said he's got to be stopped. There wasn't a doubt in my mind," Benny Lack said. "All I was trying to do was protect my daughter." The father said he called police, who then began investigating Costin.

Costin is now charged with four counts of sexual assault of a child. Authorities say the 42-year-old sexually assaulted as many as 15 girls ranging in ages from four to seven years old, and is accused of engaging in sexual acts with victims as far back as 1999.

Investigators say they found hundreds possibly thousands of images at the Pearland home he shares with Julia Lack. He was arrested there on Friday. Benny Lack says he doesn't regret turning Costin in to authorities, even though now his daughter faces a charge of possession of child porn. "You don't believe your daughter participated in any of this?" we asked him. "I do not," he said.

Benny Lack says he has not spoken with his daughter since Costin's arrest and was not aware of her arrest when we spoke with him. Julia Lack's bond has been set at $30,000.

If you know anything related to this case, you are asked to call the Harris County District Attorney's Office or Detective Cecil Arnold with the Pearland Police Department at 281-997-4151.

Houston woman found dead after reporting robbery, kidnapping

HOUSTON, TX— A southwest Houston woman has been found dead at home following a weekend in which she reported being robbed, abducted, freed and her car stolen.

Police on Tuesday announced the homicide investigation into the death of 25-year-old Meghan Hairston.

Autopsy results are pending on Hairston, whose body was discovered Monday by her mother when she could not reach her daughter. Police said Hairston was found at 5914 Bridlington about 5:30 p.m.

Investigators say Hairston on Friday reported an aggravated robbery at her residence. She told police that four unknown people barged in, stole items and forced her to accompany them to ATMs and withdraw cash. Police say Hairston was later dropped off unharmed at an undisclosed location.

Hairston on Saturday reported her home was burglarized and her car stolen. The vehicle was recovered Monday.

Houston man-23, accused of killing ex-girlfriend, her new boyfriend in San Marcos

SAN MARCOS, TX -- Two people were murdered and the suspected killer was found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Police are calling it a deadly love triangle.

The incident happened in San Marcos, but Eyewitness News has learned two of those involved have ties to the Houston area. Hailey Nicholls, 22, lived in Kingwood. Her ex-boyfriend, who police say killed her, lived in northwest Houston.

We talked to Nicholls' mother, father and older sister. They said Nicholls was senselessly taken from them and don't understand why. Investigators say this may have been a case of a love affair gone terribly wrong.

"I heard the girl ask, 'Why are you here?'" a neighbor said. Their love affair turned deadly early Thursday morning when police say 23-year-old Daniel Brewster Stillwell confronted Nicholls and her 27-year-old boyfriend, Jesse Robledo, in a San Marcos apartment.

According to police, Nicholls was shot in head on the floor. Robledo was also shot in the head; his body was found on the bed.

"The breakup between the ex-boyfriend and girlfriend -- between Stillwell and Nicholls -- was, to my understanding, very recent. It's about the best I can tell you for sure. But yeah, it's going to be a recent breakup issue," San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said.

Robledo was from San Antonio. His father calmly described how he found out about the killings. "The police, they just sat us down and said to us basically that my son was deceased," he told WOAI in San Antonio.

For hours, police looked for Stillwell. According to police, he called his roommate and said he hurt his girlfriend. Before police could catch him, he drove his car off cliff in an area of Comal County known as Devil's Backbone.

"I've been here 10 years now, this is first time we've had a double murder in that sort of tradition," Williams said.

Nicholls had an identical twin sister. Her mother told me her heart also goes out to the other two families who are grieving right now. She says right now, three families are at a loss.

3 Men dead after shooting in NW Harris County neighborhoods

HARRIS COUNTY – Investigators have determined that three men killed in a shooting Thursday morning in a northwest Harris County neighborhood are the only shooters involved in the incidencrt.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, investigators found the bodies in a neighborhood on Briarchase Drive near Torrey Drive after reports of gunfire just before 10 a.m.

The two victims were found in a white Ford Mustang that crashed into the front yard of a home, deputies said. The two men had been armed with pistols and a bag of marijuana was found in the vehicle.

The third shooting victim was found in the parking lot of the Torrey Pines Recreation Center, deputies said. He too was found with next to a pistol. The shooting had many neighbors standing around wondering what is going on.

Jackie Rangel dropped her daughter off to school this morning when she saw the commotion. “I heard like four or five gun shots and then I heard sirens. I came out and see police flying down the street, and that's what it is,” Rangel, a neighbor, said.

Investigators will be looking at surveillance video from the park. “They just said there are two other guys shot in a car back here and they just think it could be drugs,” Julie Johnson, neighborhood resident, said.

Man's body found in northwest Houston ditch

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Police Department is investigating an apparent homicide after a man was found dead in a ditch Sunday in northwest Houston.

The body was discovered in the 6400 block of Gold Street at Creston near Interstate 610 and the Hardy Toll Road. HPD Homicide detectives spent the day at the scene. The body was found just before 9am near some railroad tracks.

Officers have been canvassing the area looking for clues, and they believe this is a murder. The cause of death has not been officially determined yet, but a shooting or stabbing are both under consideration as blood was found at the scene.

Neighbors didn't report hearing any gunshots, but if a passing train could have masked any specific noise. Police are also considering that the man could have been killed at another location and the body dumped, but they don't believe he was here very long.

"Probably last night sometime. Here again, it's not necessarily to say he was shot at this location. He could have been dumped here," Det. Ramon Cervantes said. "As you can see here, it's not necessarily desolate; but the area where we found this individual, you can see where people have dumped things, and there's a portion of this area where it is somewhat desolate."

Investigators say the man's body was found by a family driving by. They first noticed his shoes. "My brother recognized some shoes, and we slowed down and there was a body lying there," Larry Washington said.

"I told them it was a mannequin," Larry's brother, Orish Washington, said. "I didn't believe it was somebody." The grim discovery has cast an eerie feeling on their neighborhood, especially among the family that had a very unexpected start to their Sunday morning.

The body has not been identified, but police said the man was black and in his early 20s. This case remains under investigation. 

Man in wheelchair killed by hit-and-run driver in north Harris County

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators are searching for a hit-and-run driver who killed a man in a wheelchair this morning in north Harris County.

It happened around 3:20am on Aldine Mail Route near Airline. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, a witness saw a red extended-cab Ford pickup truck strike the victim in the southbound lanes of Airline.

The driver then reportedly made a U-turn and fled north. Deputies said the victim was an older Latino man who was in the inside southbound lane in his wheelchair when he was fatally struck. He died at the scene.

"He was in the lane of traffic," HCSO Dep. Paul Begley said. "Unknown if he was trying to cross, or just in the lane."

Investigators collected vehicle parts from the scene of the crash to possibly help them locate the suspect vehicle.

Please stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for updates. Reporter Sonia Azad is at the scene and will have live reports from the scene 8-10am.

Man shoots, kills would-be robber after returning Redbox movie in north Houston

HOUSTON -- A man was attacked on Tuesday evening in north Houston after stopping to return a movie at the Redbox outside of McDonald's.

According to investigators, he got back in his car and was approached by at least two suspects who attempted to steal his car. He was forced out of the vehicle and pushed down.

The victim had a gun on him and he fired at the suspects. He killed one of the robbers and wounded one of the other suspects who got away. Police did not release any other information regarding the case.

“It is kind of odd being right out in the open. I guess people and the desperate need of people nowadays,” said Dedrick Moore. “They give up hope and try to go any other way to get their means."

Moore lives in the area and visits the McDonald's often, but not without caution. "I am always checking my area,” Moore said. “Looking around knowing what is going on around me."

The victim did not want to appear on camera, but he said he was doing OK.

Suspect's family 'shocked and destroyed' by crime at Spring HS

SPRING, Texas -- Luis Alonso Alfaro, 17, was charged with killing a classmate Wednesday at Spring High School by stabbing him to death.

Harris County Sheriff’s deputies said the teen confessed to the crime. He said nothing as reporters tossed out questions to him while deputies walked him to a waiting car at the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

His stepfather had a lot to say from his home in Spring, even though he didn't want to be identified. First and foremost, he had a message for the victim's family.

“I'll probably go meet them and say my prayers and share my thoughts and say I’m sorry for whatever altercation happened,” said Alfaro’s stepfather.

All four victims had been stabbed. Three were treated and released from area hospitals. The stepfather did not know where the teen got the knife used in the attack. “He didn't have one at the house. We checked his room, we checked everything,” said Alfaro’s stepfather.

The family said Luis worked part-time at a fast food restaurant, went to school, came home and didn't have any issues. They were stunned. His mother was reportedly “devastated and destroyed.”

Alfaro’s stepfather was sensitive to critics who may point the finger at the parents. “It's not our fault. It's not parenting,” said Alfaro’s stepfather. “You can't monitor your kids 24-7.” 

He said Luis will likely pay the price for the crime. The stepfather did not believe the brawl was gang-related. “I don’t believe that,” said Alfaro’s stepfather.