HOUSTON – Crime has reportedly continued to impact the family of a 9-year-old girl who died after being caught in the crossfire between an armed robber and a citizen in February.
Arlene Alvarez was fatally struck by a bullet fired by a man who was shooting at an armed robber who had just held him up at a Chase Bank ATM in southeast Houston. Arlene and her family were out for a Valentine’s Day dinner when the deadly chain of events unfolded, according to Houston police.
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Police said the victim fired into the family’s truck, believing it was the robber’s getaway vehicle. It wasn’t, and an innocent child was killed. Charges were initially filed against the man who shot Arlene, but they were eventually dropped. The suspect who robbed the man has not yet been captured.
Now, the grieving family has been hit by robbery-related crimes yet again.
On Wednesday, a suspect stole a truck out of the driveway of one of her family members’ homes. The keys had been taken from the home when it was burglarized just two weeks prior, investigators said.
When family members woke up to find the vehicle gone, they initiated a tracking app and called police.
An officer spotted the vehicle on I-45 in the downtown area and attempted to pull the suspect over, but he refused to stop.
A chase began and the suspect drove to the Spring area, where he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
Police said the suspect ran through several residents’ backyards, jumping over fences, before he was eventually caught near a retention pond where a K-9 unit was able to track him down.
A helicopter also assisted in the search.
It was not known if the family was targeted or fell victim again to a random act of violence.
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