River Oaks standoff suspect's threat to eat probation officer was among 70 messages sent: Records

Jessica Willey Image
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
SWAT standoff suspect threatened to 'eat' probation officer: Records
Obinna Nnamani Nneji, arrested after a River Oaks SWAT standoff, is accused of sending threatening messages to a Harris County probation officer.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 22-year-old man threatened to "eat" and "kill" his probation officer in a flurry of graphic text messages when he found out he was going back to jail for a probation violation, court records state.

Obinna Nnamani Nneji was charged with two counts of felony retaliation related to the threatening messages.

"I'm gone eat you. I'm a cannibal. I'm gone cook you up with seasoning and sauce and eat you," one message read, which was quoted in court documents.

Nneji was arrested last Thursday following a SWAT standoff at his family's home on Welch Street in River Oaks.

According to court documents, Nneji first sent 20 disturbing text messages to his probation officer between 9:02 p.m. and 9:31 p.m. on April 23.

Earlier in the day, he was at the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department on the Eastex Freeway, where he was told he was going back to jail for violating his probation for robbery - serious bodily injury. The messages started that night and continued the next day when she reported receiving 50 more.

PREVIOUS STORY: River Oaks street sees back-to-back SWAT scenes in 2 weeks

"I'm gone take you to the woods and beat you to death, dispose and cremate your body," one message said.

"I'm gonna sneak that blade and stab you 100 times on your head face neck, torso," another read.

Records state he also called in death threats and sent emails to another probation officer. There were more threats that HPD Lt. Larry Crowson said warranted the SWAT presence for his arrest last week.

"He threatened not only parole officers and a judge, he threatened any officers who would come to arrest him. He'd shoot them," Crowson said.

Nneji eventually came out of his house and surrendered.

No one answered at his home on Monday. His hired defense attorney, Bassey Akpaffiong, did not respond to ABC13's request for comment.

Nneji is being held in the Harris County jail on bonds totaling $1.5 million.

For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram.