HOUSTON – A construction worker was shot Wednesday during a robbery at a job site in northeast Harris County.
Two men, one armed with a gun and one armed with a knife, robbed four of the construction workers at around 7:45 a.m., according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The gunman fired and hit one of the workers in the arm.
Superintendent Derek Peake, who has been in construction for 32 years, said this is the first time he's ever heard of robbers targeting construction workers.
"I was inside the trailer and I heard four small pops and thought, 'That sounds odd,'" Peake said. "My foreman came in and said, 'Call the police, call the ambulance quick.'"
"(The workers) said one guy had a small pistol and one had a knife, and (the robbers) came up and started hollering and cursing, 'Give us all your money.' Before (the workers) had a chance to do anything, (the robbers) grabbed the cellphone -- I guess from one of the guys. They shot four times and only hit the one guy in the arm. One of the guys hollered, 'Police' and that scared (the robbers) and they took off," said Peake.
The suspects fled with a cellphone and some cash and jumped over a fence into a nearby apartment complex.
The man who was shot was taken to the hospital. He is expected to be OK.
The first suspect is described as a black man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants with a beanie cap and black glasses.
The second man is also black, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing around 175 pounds. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants and carrying a green bag.