HOUSTON – Houston police are pleading for the community to come together and help get a suspect who, they said, savagely raped a 14-year-old girl, off the streets.
The suspect, identified as Terrance Terrell Richard, is wanted for aggravated assault, kidnapping and sexual assault of a child.
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According to a police affidavit, on Aug. 1, 2021, a teen girl was sitting outside her apartment in the 9600 block of Homestead Rd. around 9 or 10 p.m.
The girl said a man drove up to her, got out of his vehicle, then grabbed her, put his hand around her mouth to prevent her from screaming and forced her into his car.
The man drove the girl to the back parking lot of the apartments, then forced her into the back seat where he slapped her and said, “shut up, I’m a pimp,” according to investigators. The girl said the man then placed his hand around her neck, choking her, and proceeded to rape her.
As this was happening, a security guard was approached by a resident reporting that a suspicious man driving a light blue Buick with dark-tinted windows was seen lurking around the apartments.
The security guard, along with a fellow officer, began to search the complex, investigators said.
The security guard spotted the reported vehicle parked near a dumpster at the dead end of the parking lot and began to approach it. He heard a female screaming from inside and began knocking on the window. As the suspect rolled down the window, the security guard said the teen girl yelled “he raped me,” then jumped out and ran, according to documents.
The guard began pulling on the door, trying to get the suspect out of the vehicle.
Instead, the suspect allegedly began to drive off, dragging the guard - who would not let go - for about 20 feet. The guard eventually fell and hit a curb, then got up and stood in front of the vehicle, demanding that the suspect exit.
The suspect did not, accelerated to a high rate of speed and struck the security guard near his right leg. The impact threw the guard over the hood of the car and he hit the ground again, documents state.
The suspect then fled the scene.
Meanwhile, the girl’s aunt had noticed the girl was missing and accessed a parental guidance app, which pinged the girl’s phone nearby in the apartment complex.
While the aunt was looking for her, she saw commotion happening with the guard near the car, then her niece jumping out the back of it and screaming. She also witnessed the driver striking the guard with the vehicle.
The guard was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. Medical records show he sustained a lower back sprain, neck sprain and a contusion of the right hip.
The girl told police she has seen the man in the apartments before but did not personally know him. She was also treated at the hospital, undergoing a rape kit evaluation, and months later, collected DNA was positively matched to Richard, who already had a profile in the system.
The incident was recorded on multiple videos situated across the apartment complex and investigators said footage is consistent with the various witness statements.
Charges were filed against Richard in July 2022 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Richard is 38 years old, 6 feet tall, weighs 170 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.
Crime Stoppers may pay up to 5,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. Only tips and calls directly to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.