Community steps in to help street vendor who was robbed at gunpoint

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the last 10 years, Don Alex' has pedaled his way around the Magnolia neighborhood near the East End to support his family.

These last few months, aside from carrying his normal goodies, he's been carrying a lot of fear.

Last Sunday he said two young Hispanic men robbed and assaulted him.

ABC 13 obtained surveillance video of the incident, and now we obtained images of the two suspects police are looking for.

Don Alex said while one pretended to buy something, the other walked up with a gun and demanded his money.

He said after handing over his $80, the guy with the gun pushed him and punched him in the face.

"He's a father, a brother, you know. So it hurt me when I seen what happened," said resident Becky Villarreal.

Villarreal and a few other residents ran out to help him, but he was too afraid to call police.

"He was like 'No. I don't want to do it. What if something happens,'" she said. "But we were like, 'We have to put a stop, I'm sorry, but I have to call them.'"

Villarreal and some other friends managed to raise a couple hundred dollars to help him.

"They're out here in the sun sweating, and you know, working pretty hard to lose everything in a second," she said.

Don Alex said this is the third time he's been robbed this year, but missing a day out in the streets means one less meal for his family.

If you have any information to help police catch the suspects, please call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.