HOUSTON – A sketch was released Tuesday of a suspect who shot a 70-year-old man's finger off while he tried to rob him outside the victim's northwest Houston house.
Houston police said Paul Hillman was getting into his car in the 7000 block of Bent Branch at Wishing Well when a man walked up to his car at 8:35 a.m. on Oct. 18.
Recommended Videos
Hillman said the man asked for gas money. When he rolled down the window to hand him some cash, the robber pointed a gun at Hillman's face and demanded his wallet.
Police said Hillman pushed the barrel of the gun away, causing the pistol to go off and shooting Hillman in the finger.
"I just instinctively reacted to try to knock the gun away and he fired," Hillman said. "We'll get by with four fingers instead of five."
The gunman then escaped, possibly in a Ford Focus parked down the street.
"It was parked across the street, facing the street so he was ready to go," said Sgt. Antonio Guzman with the Houston Police Department.
The gunman was described as Hispanic in his late teens or early 20s, 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a thin build and a tattoo under his right eye.
"It may begin with an E. He believes it was his name," Guzman said.
"We need to find this individual -- not just because of what happened to me, but consequences to the rest of our community," Hillman said.
A $15,000 reward is being offered in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.