Here are things to know for Monday, Jan. 10:
1. 77-year-old struck, killed by HPD unit laid to rest; family wants justice and accountability
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On Saturday, family and friends said their final goodbyes to their loved one, Charles Payne.
The 77-year-old was killed after a Houston Police Department patrol unit crashed into his car last month.
Payne’s funeral services were held at the Community of Faith Church in the Acres Home area.
“It hasn’t even kicked in yet. It still hasn’t kicked in,” his son, Roderick Dearborne, said.
Family members remarked that Payne, the husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and Reverend at His Way Baptist Church in Houston, was taken too soon.
2. Cy-Fair ISD teacher bonds out of jail after allegedly putting 13-year-old in trunk for fear of COVID-19 exposure, officials say
A Cy-Fair ISD teacher who was charged with endangering a child has since bonded out of jail after her 13-year-old son was found in the trunk of her car at a drive-thru COVID testing site on Monday, officials say.
Sarah Beam was reportedly taken into custody at 3 p.m. Saturday and posted a $1,500 bond around 4:45 p.m. that same day.
According to court documents, on Jan. 3, Beam pulled into the drive-thru testing site located at 11355 Falcon Road in northwest Harris County when a witness reported hearing something in the trunk. The witness said when Beam unlatched the trunk, the boy was found lying down inside.
3. VIDEO: HCSO, SWAT team uses flashbang to take man with 2 active warrants into custody
Deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office along with members of their SWAT team reportedly raided a northwest Harris County extended stay where they say a wanted man was found and arrested on Sunday.
According to authorities, officials received a tip about the home, located in the 5900 block of Guhn Road, which led them to believe a man, who had two felony warrants, was inside.
The suspect was said to have been wanted for felony evading and aggravated robbery, according to HCSO’s warrant division.
4. Abbott, O’Rourke lead off election year with visits to border cities
The race for Texas governor was kickstarted Saturday as Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke returned to the campaign trail along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott formally announced his bid for a third term in McAllen, saying he was running to “keep Texas on the right course.” Minutes earlier, O’Rourke was back on the stump in his hometown of El Paso, accusing Abbott of not listening to border communities like his.
During Abbott’s roughly half-hour speech in McAllen, he focused on issues that included taxes, education and law enforcement. The governor largely avoided some of the most dramatic chapters he has faced in his second term, including the coronavirus pandemic and the power-grid failure after February’s winter storm. While Abbott did not mention O’Rourke by name, he made a few clear references to him and broadly attacked Democrats.
5. Tornado brings down power lines, causes structural damage in Humble, authorities say
A tornado touched down in the Humble area during Saturday night’s storms.
According to Humble Police Chief Ken Thies, parts of a commercial roof were blown nearly a quarter-mile away, landing in the middle of a nearby neighborhood.
Multiple homes and businesses reported some level of damage, including fallen trees and roofs torn off.
Power lines were also damaged, according to authorities. As a result, power was knocked out for thousands of residents.