Teen charged for assault of 70-year-old woman in Whole Foods parking lot in West U

WEST UNIVERSITY, Texas (KTRK) -- West University police have charged a man accused in a brazen act of violence against a 70-year-old woman, who is also speaking out for the first time.

Elijah Wilson is charged with felony aggravated robbery for the attack that happened at the Whole Foods Market in the 4000 block of Bellaire on Feb. 7.

Police said at the time of the incident, Wilson was out on bond for a robbery and evading arrest and was also wanted in connection with another robbery that happened before the Feb. 7 assault.

"I got out of my car, I walked to the store, and with that I felt someone pulling my purse, and I yelled, "no no!" and he knocked down kicked me in the head, took my purse and left," said the woman, who spoke out for the first time but did not want her name used.

She said she noticed two suspects acting strangely near a vehicle as she pulled into the parking lot.

Suddenly, the men ran up and tried to grab her purse.

"After it happened, I was, in shock," she said.

West University Place detectives tracked the Ford Focus that was used to rob the woman to one recovered abandoned in a ditch on Feb. 11.

Investigators found that fingerprints on the vehicle led to Casey Davis, who is in the Harris County jail for a robbery. During an interview with Davis, he revealed to officers that Wilson, his brother, committed the robberies.

Both Davis and Wilson had also been arrested last year in December for evading and robbery. That incident happened on December 14th in the 3000 block of Telephone road.

Investigators accused Wilson of stealing a woman's purse. Wilson posted bond on that robbery but has not shown up in court since.

Instead, investigators believe Wilson then went on to rob a father and son eating lunch at a Jack in the Box on January 22nd.

"We're on break, just eating, father and son time," recalled Rafael Leal, who runs a towing service with his father. "All of the sudden this guy walks in and takes my phone right off the table and starts running, chopping, and I start chopping right after him. Run after him."

The Leals caught up with the suspect, later identified as Wilson. Because the duo fought back, Wilson apparently threw the iPhone X back at the Leals in the middle of the fight.

"He hit me in the face, I got a black eye and lost a contact and everything. It was just horrible," said Rafael.

The father and son got their phone back, but Wilson took off in a getaway car. Police charged Wilson with that robbery, but he was not caught. Instead, investigators believe he then committed the third robbery at Whole Foods a few weeks later, on February 7th.

"He's a sleazy coward," says the victim. "If somebody had knocked his mother down, he would be furious."