HOUSTON – Investigators said two people are dead after a driver hit them while trying to get away from Harris County sheriff’s deputies in northwest Harris County Monday.
Deputies said the incident happened at around 9 p.m. on Veterans Memorial near Rainy River. According to Sgt. Simon Cheng of HCSO, a deputy saw a Mercedes driven by Alexis Saborit going over the speed limit and tried to stop Saborit. The deputy said Saborit didn’t stop and led the deputy on a chase southbound on Veterans Memorial past the 249 intersection.
Investigators said Saborit then went southbound in the northbound lanes on Veterans Memorial. The deputy followed him and the suspect then hit a bicyclist, who has been identified as Jarvis Taylor, deputies said.
An @HCSO_D1Patrol DWI unit was involved in a brief pursuit where the suspect went into oncoming traffic at the 9500 block of Veterans Memorial Dr. and struck another vehicle. A bicyclist was also struck due to the accident. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/xftyV5XC2n
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) May 26, 2020
Taylor was transported to a hospital, where he later died. According to Cheng, Saborit also crashed into a Buick. Roosevelt McClendon, the driver of the Buick, was also transported to the hospital via Life Flight and died shortly before midnight, deputies said.
Cheng said the suspect showed signs of impairment and told deputies he was a parole violator.
The deputy who chased Saborit said he believed one of the bicyclist’s legs were severed when the crash happened. The man was detained with the help of a DPS trooper, deputies said.
Deputies said the Saborit was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where he underwent surgery on a broken leg.
“He wasn’t going to stop. He could take a life, he could kill a pedestrian. Had there been a child out there, it wouldn’t have mattered,” said Sean Teare, Vehicular Crimes Division Chief with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “He wasn’t going to stop until that car couldn’t go anymore.”
Saborit has a long criminal history, including serving time in prison for burglary in 2015.
“It appears he was on parole for a 2015 case. He also from January of this year, had an open felony warrant for evading in a motor vehicle, as well,” said Teare.
Investigators are looking into whether the Mercedes Benz Saborit was driving was stolen.
Once released from the hospital, Saborit will be booked into the county jail charged with two counts of felony murder. He faces up to life in prison.
Danita McClendon Thornton said that her brother, Roosevelt McClendon, loved life.
“He enjoyed life to fullest,” said McClendon -Thornton. “He has the best smile.”
She said that the whole family is in shock and hurting.
“We want justice we, definitely want justice —he took two lives,” she said.