Sheriff Ed Gonzalez spoke in front of the McDonald’s on Uvalde Road in east Harris County just shortly after a Hispanic woman in her early 70s was robbed just outside of the restaurant. That holdup, deputies said, led to the woman being run over by the suspect in a black Impala that was getting away late Thursday morning.
That woman was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gonzalez’s deputies at the same time had been dealing with one other violent crime – a woman shot and killed in north Harris County – when he sent a message directed at criminals.
“I don’t know what’s going on in our city right now, but it’s really sad,” Gonzalez said before telling criminals to “get a job.”
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Details of the crime
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a robbery call at about 10:30 a.m. at a McDonald’s at 430 Uvalde Rd. This is a restaurant that Gonzalez called a “hub of the community” where Coffee With a Cop events, which connect residents with law enforcement, are routinely held.
According to the sheriff, it’s believed the suspect took the woman’s purse before running over her and fleeing in a black Impala sedan that may be equipped with black rims.
Gonzalez added the suspect may be a Black male.
The sheriff went on to say the victim was at the restaurant by herself and parked close to the entrance. She may have also tried to get a picture of the suspect before she was hit.
Investigators are trying to figure out if there was more than one person involved in the purse-snatching.
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