The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) announced last week that investigators have arrested two suspects accused of burglarizing a home in the Fieldstore community and leaving the elderly homeowner bound with tape and wrapped in a blanket for two days.

On May 3 about 6 p.m. two men forced their way into the home near Highway 290 in northwest Harris County. They tied the 76-year-old homeowner with duct tape and wrapped him in a blanket on the floor of his bedroom while they ransacked the home for a couple of hours. The suspects stole numerous items from the residence including guns, the homeowner’s vehicle, a trailer and riding lawn mower.

The homeowner, unable to free himself or call for help, spent the night tied up on his bedroom floor. The next day the suspects returned and spent about two hours cleaning the house, trying to get rid of evidence, with the victim still restrained in the bedroom.

 On the morning of May 5, the 76-year-old victim thought he was going to die and decided to seek help. He managed to roll out his back door, down a 100-foot driveway and down to the road. He lay there until a passing motorist, Steve Bufkin, stopped and freed him.

Bufkin said he was taking his son to school when he drove by the victim’s home and saw the man rolling down the driveway. Bufkin stopped to render aid while his son called 911. Bufkin added that the man was bound only in duct tape at that time.

“He was fine, he was shook up,” Bufkin said. “But I stayed right there with him, got him a bottle of water out of my trunk.”

Bufkin waited until police and medics arrived and the victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

On May 16, HCSO deputies arrested two suspects in connection to the case. They are identified as Erick Carranza and Junior Velasquez. Both are charged with aggravated robbery and unlawful restraint-serious bodily injury. 

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed