Houston car owner knocked down, stabbed at his doorstep in robbery inside the Loop, police say
ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker counted 215 auto thefts and 38 robberies for the area over the last 12 months.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A pair of car thieves left an auto owner in Houston's Timbergrove area stabbed only to take off with his vehicle and later abandon it nearly seven miles away, police said.
The Houston Police Department's Robbery Division spent Friday plastering the images of the two wanted suspects whom investigators said committed the robbery exactly the week before right at the victim's doorstep.
It unfolded on March 24 at about 2:15 p.m. in the 2200 block of West 18th Street, which is just near Seamist Drive and west of Ella Boulevard.
The victim told police two men he did not know approached him as he walked into his apartment from the parking area. One of the men punched the victim, knocking him to the ground, police said.
The thieves then demanded the car keys, and when the victim refused, police said one of the suspects stabbed him with a knife.
The men grabbed the keys, got into the victim's silver Honda sedan, and drove off, police added.
The vehicle turned up about two days later, without anyone inside, at an apartment complex at 301 West Little York on Houston's north side.
Police described the suspect alleged to have held the knife as a Hispanic man who was last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt and shorts. The other suspect is a Black man who wore a dark-colored shirt and shorts.
Do you recognize them? It could mean up to $5,000 in reward money if they're caught. Anyone with information on the suspects or the case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online and through the Crime Stoppers app.
A reminder: you can remain anonymous, and the reward may be paid for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any felony suspects, like the two men in this story.
What the data shows about crime in this area
ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker collects data on specific crimes by area within the Houston area.
It turns out the neighborhood where the March 24 ordeal took place just came off of the highest number of robberies within the last four years of reportable data. The designated Westport-Holly Park- Lazy Brook-Citadel-Shady Acres-Timbergrove area had 27 robberies reported in 2022. In a running count, a staggering 38 robberies have been reported within the last 12 months.
Auto thefts in the same area are trending above the four-year average of 192. The running count is 215 over the last 12 months. In 2022, the area hovered around the average at 193.
See Houston crime data down to the neighborhood by accessing ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker.
SEE ALSO: Truck's manual transmission frustrates would-be thieves, HPD says
