Neighbors say they had no idea what was going on, right there on their street. They say the man who lived in the home was quiet and kept to himself. Their neighbor's violent death caught them completely by surprise.
Police were called to the 5100 block of Poinciana Drive near Bolivia around 5:30am, after a neighbor taking the dog for a walk noticed a man lying in his front yard.
HPD Homicide Sgt. Kevin Tolls said, "Didn't know if he was hurt or maybe intoxicated."
Officers arrived a few minutes later, and pronounced the man, who they say appears to be in his fifties, dead at the scene.
"It appears to be a single gunshot wound. Looks like a shotgun blast to the back," Sgt. Tolls said.
Inside the man's home, officers reportedly found the remains of a marijuana growing operation in a bedroom, though detectives say most of the marijuana was missing.
"There was some lining the street," Sgt. Tolls explained. "So whoever took it fled and dropped some along the way."
Neighbors tell us the man had lived in the home for years, and kept mostly to himself.
One neighbor said, "I saw him cutting the grass about two months ago, putting the lawnmower in the garage. He waved."
They saw no signs of anything suspicious until their street became a crime scene Friday morning.
Police say neighbors reported hearing a loud bang at approximately 5:15am. Several neighbors went outside to investigate but did not notice anything suspicious until the man was discovered a short time later. Neighbors reported seeing two vehicles leaving the area immediately after hearing the gunshot. They are described only as a light brown 2000-2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a white four-door sedan.
The man's identity has not yet been released. Anyone with information in this incident is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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