The victim was attacked early Saturday morning as he walked past an auto repair shop at 14320 South Post Oak Road near Trafalgar Drive. His body was discovered between the building and a sidewalk.
"The amount of trauma he endured after the robbery was devastating. His loss of life was immediate," Houston Police Department Detective Mike Miller said.
The victim has been identified as 39-year-old Federico Garza. Police say he had just had an argument with his wife and left the family's barbecue stand on South Post Oak between 1 and 2am with the intention of walking home.
According to police, Garza was walking south toward the Beltway when someone attacked him, shot him and robbed him, then left him for dead.
"I got a phone call about 5 this morning; steady ringing. Something happened at the shop," the auto shop's owner, Harvey Williams, said.
Williams has been in business there for 15 years. He didn't know Garza, but hates what happened to him.
"I think it's cruel, man. I think it's wicked. What's going on in our city today, it's just not right," he said. "I don't care if it's 3 or 4 in the morning, he should be able to walk home and not be disturbed."
The suspect(s) fled in an unknown direction. Police at this point have no idea who might have attacked him. They're asking for the public's help to catch the killer.
"The witnesses we have are sketchy at best. They're passers-by who more or less saw it after the fact," Miller said.
Williams, who was talking about the crime with his employees all morning, says he feels for the victim's family, and hopes whoever's responsible for the crime is brought to justice.
"It's just sad to kill a man woking hard and take his money from him like that. It's not right," Williams said.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for any information called in to the 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org that leads to the filing of felony charges or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Tips can also be sent by text message. Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637). All tipsters remain anonymous.
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