Teens Charged in Racing Crash That Killed Mother, 2 Children

This sort of thing should NEVER happen.

HOUSTON – Two teenagers were charged Tuesday with illegal racing in a crash that killed a mother and her two children.

Authorities said 17-year-old Christopher Yovino and 18-year-old Brett Taylor were racing on September 27 near the 7300 block of North Gessner when Yovino, who was driving more than 90 mph in a 40 mph zone, slammed into a vehicle containing 37-year-old Mayra Torres and her children, 14-year-old Christopher Nuno and 6-year-old Katia Nuno.

Torres and her son died at the scene. Her daughter died two days later.

A witness said Taylor appeared visibly upset at the time.

"We were racing and going so fast," Taylor told the witness. "I was right next to him and he couldn’t stop and he hit them."

According to authorities, an investigation of the crash data showed Yovino was going 93 mph one second before the accident and 81 mph just before impact. An analysis of the data also showed Yovino’s accelerator was pushed down 100 percent immediately before braking, which authorities said is consistent with accounts of racing.

Yovino and Taylor were charged with felony fatality racing and were released after posting bond.

Related:

• Girl, 6, dies after crash that witnesses blame on street racing
• Deputies: Woman, teen killed in suspected street-racing collision

Human Remains Found in Barrel of Multiple Murderer's Home

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A terrifying discovery in the backyard of a home in northwest Harris County -- a woman's body, bound and stuffed inside a barrel. Now investigators are asking for help finding the man who owns the property.

We're learning disturbing details about the condition the body was in when it was found, and the criminal history of the man investigators are now looking for.

The man who lives with the suspect thought initially that this was a pre-Halloween prank. Investigators say it was anything but after they found the badly decomposed remains of a woman on the side of this house in the 7500 block of Split Oak Court.

"I had just moved in, so it's somewhat disconcerting," said roommate Ed Hanson.

Acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, deputies last week searched the property, looking for a barrel which they were told contained a body. The tipster said property owner Dennis Anderson confessed to killing the person inside. Hanson, who also lives at Anderson's home, gave investigators permission to search.

"Speechless. That something like this happens is something you read about in the newspaper, but never happens to you," Hanson said.

Deputies opened the rusty barrel. Hanson says he got a brief glimpse of what was inside, what he says appeared on top just to be peat moss.

"The level was down to midway, so there was significant decomposition; there wasn't much left," said Hanson.

According to court documents, the barrel appeared to be old and rusted and had some black paint on it. The bolts at the top of the barrel also appeared to be rusty. Dirt was placed inside the barrel on top of the female body. The body was wrapped in a bed sheet, and then two black trash bags were wrapped around there. Investigators stated, "the legs had been tied together utilizing what appeared to be weed eater line that was also tied around the neck of the unknown victim."

According to investigators, the body appeared to have been decaying for several months.

Hanson says he just moved in here two weeks ago after finding the room here for rent through craigslist.org. Anderson was his landlord and roommate. Hanson describes Anderson as straightforward, yet somewhat distant.

"We were able to talk and seems like a nice guy," said Hanson.

He hasn't seen Anderson since last Tuesday. He doesn't think he'll ever see him again.

The remains have been sent to forensics for identification and a cause of death.

Authorities are looking for Anderson so they can question him about the body. Anderson, 64, has been charged with tampering with a corpse. Bail has been set at $50,000.

Jason Clark of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed that Anderson has been convicted twice before on murder charges -- once in 1972, and again in 1973. Both times he was sentenced to life in prison. He served nearly 17 years before being paroled.

State parole officials say Anderson was released in part because he earned an Associate's degree, 60 hours towards a Bachelor's degree and because he helped hold off other offenders who were attacking prison personnel early on in his incarceration during a prison riot.

We've also learned that Anderson has an arson conviction and two theft convictions, one of which was as recent as this past July when he served less than a month in custody.

Investigators want to find and arrest Anderson. If you help you can qualify for a reward through Crime Stoppers of up to $5,000. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477 or the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide division at 713-967-5810.

Good Samaritan, Teen Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two people were killed during an accident late last night in the Humble area.

It happened on the Eastex Freeway near Lee Road around 11pm. Investigators say a woman with her 17-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old son were traveling along the Eastex Freeway when their Scion had a flat tire. They pulled over around the Lee Road exit. That's when a man pulled over to help the family.

The woman and her two children were standing in front of their car. According to authorities, a Jeep drifted off the road and into the right shoulder of the freeway, smashing into the car. The driver of the Jeep, says authorities, admitted to drinking alcohol.

The man who was changing the tire died. So did the 17-year-old girl. The 10-year-old boy was thrown over the rail and into the bayou under the freeway. Remarkably, the boy survived.

"He fell approximately 15 to 20 feet down to the ground," said Sgt. S. Wolverton with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "Miraculously, he is OK and was able to crawl back up. He was transported. He did have injuries, but they were minor injuries."

The mother was taken to Memorial Hermann for treatment with serious injuries. The names of the victims have not been released.

The alleged drunk driver was taken into custody. The wreck took about three hours to clear.

UNC Fraternity President Shot, Killed During Traffic Stop

Trinity, N.C. — A University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student was shot and killed by a police officer during a confrontation after a traffic stop on Interstate 85 in Randolph County early Sunday, authorities said Monday.

The State Bureau of Investigation said Officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum of the Archdale Police Department shot Courtland Benjamin Smith, 21, of Houston, Texas.

A wreath hung on the door of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity on the Chapel Hill campus, where an unidentified alumnus said Smith, a junior biology major, was the chapter president. He said the fraternity brothers were stunned by the shooting and didn't want to comment.

Smith's family also didn't want to talk about the shooting Monday, said Rick Rivers, spokesman for Smith's high school, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston.

Archdale police said in a statement that a man in his early 20s called 911 from a car on I-85, between Trinity and Archdale, shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday to say he was suicidal. When officers stopped his car near the Hopewell Church Road exit, police said, the man became confrontational, and an altercation ensued in which an officer shot the man.

Smith was transported to High Point Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police Chief Darrell Gibbs said Monday that the vehicle didn't immediately stop when Flinchum tried to pull it over, but there was no chase involved. A second officer arrived at the scene before the shooting, he said.

Gibbs said he didn't know if Smith was armed because officers didn't search the car before turning the case over to the SBI.

The SBI normally investigates officer-involved shootings.

Flinchum, who has been with the Archdale police since April 2008 and previously was a Randolph County deputy, has been put on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Dennis Gerber, national director of chapter operations for Delta Kappa Epsilon, said he spoke with Smith Saturday afternoon to plan a visit to the UNC chapter. Smith sounded excited about the upcoming year and recruitment efforts, he said.

“We are extremely upset about the situation, and we are there to support the undergraduates and help them in any way possible,” Gerber said.

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp said in a statement that the university community was "deeply saddened" by Smith's death.

"There is nothing worse than losing a young person. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they grieve and cope with such a great loss," Thorp said.

Classes are scheduled to start Tuesday at UNC, and the university planned to have counselors available for students.

"It's just one of the those things where you have to take a step back and understand that this is one of our colleagues. We definitely are grieving for him, you know, and for his family too," student body president Jasmin Jones said. "It makes you look at one another and say, 'I need to give you a hug today.'"

Pilot Was in 'Perfect Health,' Wife Says

NEWARK, N.J. (June 19) -The Continental Airlines pilot who died on a trans-Atlantic flight from Belgium to the U.S. was in "perfect health" and fellow crew members initially thought he had just fallen asleep, his wife told a Houston television station.

Craig Lenell, 60, who was based in Newark but had a house in Houston, had no known heart condition and underwent twice-a-year physicals, Lynda Lenell told KHOU-TV.

"He was the kindest, gentlest man I've ever known. He would do anything for anyone," Lynda Lenell said. "He called me yesterday from Brussels to tell me he was bringing home some chocolate."

The tragedy comes on the heels of the death of Lynda Lenell's mother. The pilot, a father of six who lived in Houston, had been returning home in to attend his mother-in-law's funeral, CNN reported.

Lenell died of a suspected heart attack midway through Continental Airlines Flight 61 on Thursday. Two co-pilots took over the controls. Passengers didn't know anything was wrong until they landed and were met by fire trucks, emergency vehicles and dozens of clamoring reporters.

"I was shocked," said passenger Dora Dekeyser. "Nobody knew anything."

The crew of the Boeing 777 made an announcement over the loudspeaker asking if there was a doctor on board, but Martha Love, who was sitting in the first row of the plane, didn't suspect anything was amiss.

The flight attendants continued to serve snacks. Passengers read magazines and watched movies. And the flight stayed on schedule.

"No one knew," said Love, who only became concerned after the plane landed and she saw emergency vehicles lined up along the runway.

Dr. Julien Struyven, 72, a cardiologist and radiologist from Brussels, examined the pilot in the cockpit and tried to revive him using a defibrillator. But it was too late. Struyven said there was "no chance at all" of saving him.

Simon Shapiro, a passenger from Brooklyn, New York, was also unaware. "I didn't hear anything or see anything," he said. "I was wondering why there were so many cops."
Passenger Kathleen Ledger, 45, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said she learned about what happened when her cell phone rang after landing.

"My husband called me and told me," she said.
She was impressed with the way the flight crew handled themselves and did not think passengers needed to be informed of the death during the flight.

"They did an incredible job," she said. "I would have done the exact same thing."
The dead pilot was based in Newark and had worked for Continental for 32 years, the airline said.

Lynda Lenell could not be reached for comment by The Associated Press. Houston-area phone numbers listed in the names of Craig and Lynda Lenell were not answered Friday morning.

She told KHOU-TV her husband was an Air Force pilot who served in Vietnam. The couple married in 1973 and had six children and several grandchildren.
"Flying was his life," she said. "He died doing what made him happiest."

Tom Donaldson, a former leader of the Continental pilots' union who currently flies Boeing 767 jets for the airline, said pilots must pass an extensive physical every six months to remain qualified to fly. The exam includes an electrocardiogram, blood pressure check and a vision test.

For long routes such as trans-Atlantic flights, a third pilot is aboard to permit the captain or first officer to take rest breaks.

Donaldson said there is no specific training on how to react if a crew member becomes incapacitated, but any one of the three pilots is fully qualified to operate the jet.

(past article)

HCSO: Homeowner Shoots, Kills Teen

HOUSTON -- A northwest Harris County homeowner shot and killed a teenager Wednesday after a confrontation on his property, officials told KPRC Local 2.

The Harris County Sheriff's Department said the shooting occurred outside a home in the 5500 block of Suzanna at Azalea Way at about 10:30 a.m.

Deputies said an argument began after the homeowner, described as 70 years old, told the 17-year-old to get off his yard. The homeowner found some items where the teen had been standing and took them inside, according to deputies.

Investigators said the teenager, identified as Vidal Herrera, then demanded his items back. The homeowner shot Herrera once in the stomach when Herrera began walking toward the homeowner, officials said.

"Our early indications are that he was in fear of the 17-year-old, shot one time. There's been reports that there's been some burglaries and some robberies and some criminal activities in this area by the complainant. That hasn't been substantiated, yet," said Sgt. Larry Davis with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Herrera was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died.

Deputies said the homeowner is cooperating with the investigation.

Investigators said the case will be referred to the District Attorney's Office without charges.

Father Kills Two Kills, Then Tries to Kill Himself

What a selfish bastard... [Click picture for video]
HOUSTON -- A 33-year-old father of two shot and killed his 6-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, then tried to kill himself Tuesday afternoon, Houston police told KPRC Local 2.

Their car was found in the parking lot of the Inwood Gardens Apartments on Fairdale Lane near Fountain View Drive in southwest Houston.

More than an hour before the discovery, a mother called police and said her estranged husband called her claiming he picked up their two children at school and was going to kill them. She said he was upset the family was not together, but did not say where he was going.

"The belief is that he drove here after making the call to the, to his estranged wife," Houston police spokesman John Cannon said. "He drives to this location, parks his car and then shoots both children while still inside the car, then turns the gun on himself."

The father survived and was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition.

Police said they found a .380 semiautomatic handgun in the car.

Police are working to confirm that the mother did have custody of the children.

The names of the children and of the father have not been released.

Young Couple Shot at Local Park

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There is a search for answers after a young couple was shot at a north Houston park. The husband is dead and the wife is fighting for her life in the hospital.

The victims were shot last night at McCullough Park. Early reports indicate they may have known their attacker.

James Smith, Jr., 19, along with his wife of only five months were both shot multiple times. Smith was dead and his wife, Yiasha Wilson, 17, was barely breathing.

So far, investigators say few people heard the gunfire. All they know at this time is that the victims were sitting at the picnic table when someone walked up and started firing.

Smith's mother, Renae Arterberry, says the couple's three-year-old son is a spitting image of his father , a man he'll never get to know.

"My son looked out for people. That is what he did," said Arterberry.
It's an act of kindness friends say they wish they could have repaid around midnight.

"He is loved over here," said Kesha Shaw, friend of one of the victims. "Why would they want to hurt him and his wife?"

With no witnesses, the investigation turned to those who know Smith. The current theory is that the shooter could possibly be someone Smith called a friend. If that is the case, Arterberry says it is the ultimate betrayal.

"He didn't deserve that. He deserves for someone to tell the truth. That's what he deserves, and that is what I am going to get done," she said.

But first, she has to explain to a three-year-old that his father is never going to pick him up.

Family members believe that Smith was killed out of jealousy. He and his wife just recently moved in with his mother to be closer to the TSU campus, where Wilson was planning to attend classes.

Wilson is listed in critical condition. She is currently paralyzed on her right side after the bullets caused some spinal damage.

If you have any information in this case, you're asked to call Houston police.

Bodies of 3 Brothers Recovered at Lake Houston

HOUSTON -- Something went terribly wrong during a family fishing trip Sunday and three brothers ended up dead.

[Raw video from the scene ]

A fisherman spotted the bodies just after 10 a.m. Monday in the Big Eddie Tributary that flows into Lake Houston.

Homicide investigators were called to the scene, but said there were no signs of foul play and the cause of death appeared to be accidental drowning.

The brothers, ages 21, 16 and 14, were fishing from the shore. The younger ones were visiting their brother from Mexico and had just arrived here five days ago.

Police believe one of them probably went into the water first.

“One of them -- by clothing found on the bank -- went into the water voluntarily," said HPD investigator Kese Smith. "Not sure why the others followed him.

”
None of the brothers could swim, according to relatives.

“This is the first time he didn’t bring me fishing. He always brings me everywhere," said Anita Venegas, choking back tears. She's married to the oldest of the three brothers.

“Just being with him, everything about him, I’m gonna miss," Venegas said.

A relative said the three left to go fishing early Sunday and were supposed to check in with family members that afternoon.

Their sister showed up to surprise them Sunday afternoon. She found their truck, but no sign of her brothers. She called Venegas.

“First, I thought they were in the woods, then I told her to call the cops and say you can’t find them," Venegas said.

Family members and police searched until late into the evening Sunday, but didn't find anything.
Relatives said the three young men didn't normally fish in the area where their bodies were found.

Monday afternoon, Venegas was still trying to figure out how to tell her young daughter that her father wouldn't be coming home.

“She’s gonna miss her father," she said. "She’s gonna be asking for him."

Dye Explodes In Man's Pants, Hahahaha

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A bank robber may have gotten away with the cash, but he might be wishing he hadn't.



Last Thursday, a man walked into the Wachovia Bank in the 2700 block of Smith and reportedly told the teller he had a gun and ordered her to give him money. Fearing for her life, the teller gave the man some cash bundles with exploding dye packs in them. The suspect stuffed the money down his pants and ran out of the bank.

Police arrested Daniel Duran a short time later, after the dye packs exploded while still allegedly down his pants. Duran was taken to an area hospital with second degree burns to his genital area. No weapon was found.

Duran has been charged with robbery.

Boy, 12, Charged With Capital Murder

HOUSTON -- A 12-year-old boy was charged with capital murder in connection with a baby's death, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Assistant Harris County District Attorney Donna Hawkins said 11-month-old DeAndre Washington was injured on March 12 and died in the hospital on March 14.

Court documents said the boy, whose name was not released, was visiting the baby's family when his mother and the baby's mother left the house, leaving the 12-year-old to care for several younger children.

Child Protective Services interviewed children in the house about what they saw.

"What they're saying is they saw the 12-year-old throw the baby on the floor. The baby started crying and then that the baby stopped crying," said Estella Olguin with Child Protective Services.

A judge ruled at a detention hearing on Wednesday that the boy must remain in juvenile detention because of the serious nature of the charge.

"Protection of the public and secondly, the wellbeing of the children involved," Harris County assistant district attorney Chris Moore said.

The pastor and attorneys for the boy said they will prove that the boy is innocent.

"This is shocking to him. He's not even realizing what's going on. He said, "I didn't do it,'" said Minister Johnny Jeremiah, the family's pastor.

"Even though we can't bring the child back, we can at least have the facts to where another child will be saved," attorney Ronald Ray said.

Hawkins said it is very unusual for capital murder charges to be filed against a child.

"I can't remember a 12-year-old charged with capital murder," Moore said.

A child must be 14 years old to be tried as an adult. Hawkins said that if the boy is convicted, the maximum punishment he could receive is 40 years in prison.

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