Man operating business out of NW Houston apartment shot during robbery

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Paul Arden opened his northwest Houston apartment door to a man he thought was asking for work. Moments later, he had a gun to the back of his head. And then the trigger was pulled.

Arden operates a moving business out of the apartment on West 34th he shares with his wife. Until today, the 61-year-old would pay workers with cash. Not any more.

The first man got Arden to open the door. He was quickly followed by two accomplices who pulled out guns and demanded his cell phone and cash.

"At first I thought it was a toy gun so I said, 'Let me go get mine,'" Arden said.

He quickly learned it was no joke.

The men took Arden and another man to a back bedroom and made them lay on the floor. One put a gun to Arden's head and demanded to know where the money was. He lied about the cash location. When he didn't tell them the second time, the trigger was pulled.

He never lost consciousness, and then told them where to find the money. As soon as he heard the door close, he ran to a neighbor's apartment to call for help.

He was treated at Ben Taub General Hospital, where doctors determined the bullet went in and out, grazing his head but not penetrating his skull.

"God was looking after me," he said.

Of the robbers, he says, "they were cold-blooded killers, they have no mercy."

Arden isn't giving up his business, or for now, moving. But he had a request that we tell you this: "Let everybody know Jim won't have cash around anymore. From now on, everybody's being paid by check."

The three robbers remain at large.