Only On 13: Galveston woman finds hammer, rope, and duct tape after intruder breaks into apartment

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Galveston woman lying in bed said she opened her eyes to find an intruder standing right in front of her. What was even more shocking to her is what the intruder left behind after she scared him off.

Tammy Anderson lives alone in the 7800 block of Seawall Boulevard and was awakened by a stranger on Feb. 14 around 4:30 a.m.

"I looked him straight in the eye, and all I saw was evil," Anderson recalled. "I know what he smells like, what he looks like, and what he sounds like. Am I afraid he is going to come back? Yes."

Anderson said she believed he was homeless because he smelled of urine, alcohol, and cigarettes. She said her doors were locked, but police believe the man may have gotten into her home by climbing her patio.

She said she screamed, which scared him off, and he ran. Anderson thought he left the apartment but knew something was wrong when she couldn't find her dog, Jelly.

"I go all the way down the staircase, and I go, 'Jelly, Jelly?'" Anderson said. "She lets out a yelp, and I flip on the lights, and he's sitting on my couch choking my dog out."

Anderson says the man darted out after she threatened to get her pistol while she fought him off. Her dog was OK, and she called the police after the suspect took off with some cash and jewelry. But hours after the police left, Anderson made a terrifying discovery - a plastic bag with a hammer, knife, rope, and duct tape.

"What is known as a kill kit, and he dropped it on the way out," Anderson said. "I threw up. I literally vomited. I started shaking like a leaf."

According to Anderson, the man kept telling her he wasn't there to steal.

"He wasn't there to steal. I think he was there to kill," Anderson said. "I think if he could choke my dog out, he could have killed me."

While Anderson is afraid he may come back to try to get what he left behind, she worries he may also try and find more victims and wants her neighborhood to stay alert.

"I am worried about any (women) in my community because why would a man break into a woman's house and have all those tools unless he planned on doing evil?" Anderson said. "I want people to make sure they change up their pattern. If you drive home one way, drive home a different way. If you put your purse on the couch, maybe put it somewhere else. Because I don't know if he wasn't watching me, and that's the scary part."

The Galveston Police Department has the bag with the knife and other items inside, according to Anderson.

Police are investigating, and the suspect, who is believed to be homeless, is described as a Black man, wearing all black and having a black and white backpack in his possession. He was between 30 and 50 years old with no teeth and long hair.

The Galveston Police Department is actively working on the investigation and encourages anyone that may have information about the suspect to contact them at (409)-765-3787 or anonymously at Galveston Crime Stoppers at (409)-763-8477.

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