HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department is asking for help finding a man who was caught on camera stealing an elderly man’s car then running him over.
According to HPD, the incident happened around 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 at the Valero gas station on Beechnut Street and Cook Road in southwest Houston.
Police said the 83-year-old driver went into the convenience store to make some purchases. He came back out, started the vehicle and was standing nearby smoking a cigarette when a man, unprovoked, “punched him in the face (out of camera view), causing him to fall to the ground,” according to HPD.
In the video, the man is seen calmly walking to the vehicle with what appeared to be a drink and other food items and getting into the driver’s side.
At that point, the 83-year-old man is seen walking in front of the vehicle and attempts to get the car thief to stop, but instead, the thief drives over the man before backing up and driving off.
The thief returned to the store later that day and was captured on surveillance video wearing a black shirt, black pants and red bandana over his head, police said.
According to HPD, the vehicle was found abandoned on July 1.
The thief is described as a Black male between the ages of 20 to 30. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 180 to 200 pounds.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the charging and arrest of the man.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.crime-stoppers.org.