HOUSTON, Texas – On Wednesday, the Houston Police Department announced the arrest of a 29-year-old man who they believed committed at least two of the five sexual assaults that have occurred in the northside of Houston over the past three months.
Investigators believe he targeted women who were taking their children to the bus stop or picking them up.
Denzeill Jariel Kudaejr Sneed has since been charged with burglary and sexual assault. He appeared in court Thursday morning where a judge set his bond at $100,000 for both cases.
In both cases, Sneed is accused of breaking into the women’s apartment while they walked their kids to the bus stop and then sexually assaulting them when they returned, according to court documents.
The judge said the first incident happened on Aug. 14 at an apartment complex located on West Gulf Bank Rd. Officers said at 6:30 a.m., a woman claimed she was assaulted inside her apartment after Sneed broke in and was waiting inside her apartment after she had walked her child to the bus stop.
The second incident, which happened most recently on Friday, Nov. 8, occurred at an apartment complex located in the 5000 block of West Little York Rd. KPRC 2′s Bryce Newberry spoke to a witness at the scene who said she knew the woman who was assaulted and claimed Sneed broke into the victim’s apartment while she walked her child to the bus stop, and when she returned, he was waiting inside her home behind the door and sexually assaulted her.
One of the alleged victims of Sneed’s assaults spoke with KPRC 2′s Corley Peel, describing the horrific attack.
She spoke in Spanish, so KPRC 2 used a translator.
“I heard some kind of noise, and I looked out and from the closet door, and there was a man standing there,” she recounted. “[He] came out of the closet and threw a blanket over my head. We started fighting. He overpowered me. He took all the money that I had for rent and bills, and then he sexually assaulted me. I was trying to defend myself and I just couldn’t, and he threatened to kill me. And after that, I went outside to get help and there was no one.”
Before Wednesday, officers believed Sneed was also responsible for three more incidents that happened in the area, but now, they believe there may be a second suspect on the loose.
- On Oct. 9 around 7 p.m. at 5300 West Gulf Bank Road, a woman was assaulted by a suspect who forced entry into her apartment. The suspect was armed with a gun.
- On Oct. 17 around 2 p.m. at 5350 West Gulf Bank Road, a woman was assaulted by a suspect who knocked on her apartment door and forced his way inside. The suspect was wearing a ski mask and armed with a gun.
- On Oct. 24 around 7:50 a.m. at 5350 West Gulf Bank Road, a woman was assaulted by a suspect who knocked on her apartment door and forced his way inside. The suspect was wearing a ski mask and armed with a gun.
“Since we released surveillance video and photo in these incidents last Friday, we have uncovered evidence with the assistance of our partners at the FBI pointing to the likelihood of a second suspect in the three incidents that occurred in October,” HPD commander Elizabeth Lorenzana said.
Investigators are working to determine if Sneed and the possible second suspect are targeting Hispanic women in the area since all of the victims who were assaulted were Hispanic.
According to court records, Sneed has a history of violence. During the time of the first assault, he was on parole for aggravated robbery and evading arrest.
Anyone with information about the second suspect or is a victim of Sneed’s attacks, if asked to contact HPD’s Special Victims Department at 713-308-1180.