HOUSTON – A reward has been increased in the case of four men wanted in connection with a violent robbery last year in west Houston.
Police said one of the men dressed as a UPS delivery driver and rang the doorbell around 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 22 at a home in the 5400 block of Willer's Way. The man was holding a package and asked for a signature, police said.
When the homeowners opened the door, the man, and three other masked men, barged into the home and pistol-whipped a man inside the home.
During the struggle, a shot was fired but no one was hit, police said. They said the robbers also used a Taser on the homeowner -- a husband who had been reading to his children just before the incident happened.
He suffered severe neck and head injuries and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. “He survived by the grace of God,” said Sgt. Tony Mora, of the Houston Police Department.
The husband's wife, another woman and two children, who were in the home at the time, locked themselves in closets and called 911.
The robbers stole several pieces of jewelry and collectible firearms and then left the scene in either a dark-colored four-door sedan or a white four-door sedan, police said.
The family is now paying for a Houston Police Department security guard to stand outside their home 24/7 through Christmas.
Investigators are now warning homeowners to be cautious when answering their doors. They say only full-time United Parcel Service employees wear the brown UPS jackets. Temporary holiday employees do not typically wear the standard jacket. “So if your delivery person is not the regular person you see and they're wearing that style jacket, ask a few extra questions,” Sgt. Mora said.
Police describe the four robbers as black men, 20 to 25 years old. One was wearing a UPS jacket and a brown ball cap.
The second man has a medium build and wore a gray hoodie, jeans and red or orange sneakers.
The third man has a medium to dark complexion and a slim build and was wearing a T-shirt around his face and camouflage pants and had a backpack.
The fourth man has a medium to dark complexion and a medium build and was wearing a blue hoodie and red and black sneakers.
Crime Stoppers Tuesday announced an increased reward of $25,000 in the case.
Anyone with information about the identities of the wanted suspects is asked to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 713-308-0700 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.