Last Wednesday, a Clear Lake grocery store employee was shot and killed when he confronted someone tampering with his car in the store parking lot. The suspects arrested in that case made their first court appearance on Monday.
The recent homicides are the first in that area in more than two years. The murders are in no way connected but this is not an area of Houston where you typically see or hear about them. Police are now stepping up their presence as a result.
Two murders at what is typically a quiet apartment community in the Clear Lake area was just too much for Nicole Jones.
She said, "I actually put my couch in front of my door last night because I didn't feel comfortable with just me and my three small children at home."
Sunday morning's double homicide at the Baycrest Village apartments comes on the heels of last week's murder of a grocery store employee, also in the Clear Lake area.
Resident Kerwin Briley said, "I've grown up around here and it wasn't like this before."
Police arrested and charged four suspects with that murder, all of whom appeared in court on Monday. Jessie Lurue Nelson Jr., 19, Ralph Ernest Alonso, 23, Angelica Lee Serrano, 20, and Daniel Allen Porter, 21, are all accused in the killing of Warren Keith White, 29, of Webster.
And while three murders within a few days of each other is practically unheard of, crime overall in Clear Lake is down 6.5 percent so far this year, but violent crime is up 2 percent. Police aren't sure why.
HPD Capt. M. Fougerousee explained, "We have stepped up our patrols at our apartment complexes. We are also asking for assistance downtown and we have received that with additional support from downtown to help patrol."
It's support that could go a long way towards making nervous residents feel safer.
"It's real scary," said resident Loretta Young. "You've got a lot of kids out here. People come out here and play. My kids come out here and play. "
There's still no identification on the suspects, nor a motive for the double murder at the Baycrest apartments. The victims were shot in the head, execution-style. If you have any information about the suspects, call Crime Stoppers.
