Caught on camera: Landscaper dragged down street by 3 robbery suspects

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Cell phone video shows a landscaper being dragged down the street by three men who'd just stolen thousands of dollars' worth of lawn equipment from him, according to the Houston Police Department.

The landscaper, who asked not to be identified, said he was left with a scraped knee and a swollen hand that he now has trouble closing.

"I was just watching the tires spin beside my face, so I was like, hopefully they're gonna stop," he told Eyewitness News.

The victim said the robbery occurred as he was clearing leaves in the backyard of a home on Charleston Street in the Third Ward around 9 a.m. Monday.

While returning to his work truck to get another bag for the leaves, he saw a man walking off with one of his leaf blowers.

Maurice Perkins, who lives several houses down, said he saw three men rummaging through the victim's trailer and tried scaring them off.

"I just started honking my horn to try and get their attention," said Perkins.

But after glancing over at him, Perkins said the suspects continued what they were doing.

"They didn't seem to care," he said. "They stopped for a few seconds, looked behind, but they then kept going."

The victim said he walked out just as the suspects were getting ready to drive off with his stuff.

"I took off running after the truck. I was able to grab the back handle of the driver's side. Told them to stop, and they just drove off and dragged me," he said.

The suspects drove for only a few feet before their SUV came to a stop, the back door flew open, and the victim released his grip on the handle.

Perkins said he followed the suspects to take down their license plate, which the victim said he also took care to memorize.

Police arrested all three suspects about 20 minutes later, three miles away on Scott Street.

But the victim said his lawn equipment, which he said is worth $4,000, was already gone.

"That's stuff we used to work, you know, to get out there and work every day, and these people come and just rob you out of the blue," he said.

Johnny Dancy, Patrick Baker, and Bryton Crosby are charged with robbery - bodily injury. Records show Crosby was already out on bond for assaulting a pregnant woman in November and was required to wear a GPS monitor.

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