5 things for Houstonians to know for Tuesday, Jan. 25

Invasive suckermouth armored catfish collected from a Texas waterway. (Texas Rivers & Streams - Texas Parks and Wildlife/Facebook, Texas Rivers & Streams - Texas Parks and Wildlife/Facebook)

Here are things to know for Tuesday, Jan. 25:

1. ‘They abused her’: Family demands answers after 98-year-old woman found with bruised face at Afton Oaks Rehabilitation Center

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he family of Ramona Rodriquez was in tears describing the injuries they say their elderly loved one suffered at the Afton Oaks Rehabilitation Center.

“Nobody wants to go and see their mother like that,” said Francis Garcia, Rodriguez’s daughter.

What’s worse, they feel helpless and fear it could happen again.

“They abused her. There’s no doubt about it. You can see it. There’s no way you can’t. You look at those pictures and you can see it,” said Sylvia Poley, Rodriquez’s granddaughter.

Family members say Rodriquez had been living at the rehabilitation center for about three years, but last week on Jan. 15, something happened that would land her in the hospital days later.

Read more.

2. ‘Bold and dangerous fugitive’: 3 suspects, including gunman, identified in shooting death of Pct. 5 Cpl. Charles Galloway

Houston police and the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office have identified the suspected gunman and two accomplices connected to the shooting death of Cpl. Charles Galloway.

Oscar Rosales, 51, has been charged with capital murder and remains at large.

On Sunday, Pct. 5 Cpl. Charles Galloway, 47, was fatally shot by Rosales during a traffic stop in southwest Houston, according to authorities. He was a 12-year veteran with Pct. 5 and was promoted to Corporal in 2020.

Constable Ted Heap said Galloway “was very much loved” by the men and women he served with.

“Mr. Rosales, you can run, but you cannot hide,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said, adding that, if captured, Rosales will be held without bail.

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3. Robbery suspect accused of stabbing K-9 on the run after chase, crash in west Houston: HPD

A manhunt is underway Tuesday for a robbery suspect accused of stabbing a Houston police K-9 on Jan. 22.

Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, was charged with evading arrest, robbery with bodily injury, and interference with a police service animal. Smith’s bond was set at $50,000. He was due in court on Monday morning.

After bonding out of jail Monday, Smith was being followed by homicide investigators with the Houston Police Department.

Police said around 12:10 a.m. the suspect was being followed inbound on Katy Freeway when they requested marked patrol units to stop the pickup truck he was in. The suspect led officers on a 10-minute pursuit before crashing on the Houston Polo Grounds located at 8552 Memorial Dr., investigators said. The suspect then fled into the woods while police searched for over two hours. Police said the suspect has not been found.

Read more.

4. Rice University, ex-piano instructor named in lawsuit alleging child sex abuse

A Houston woman has filed a civil lawsuit alleging negligence and assault against Rice University and a former piano instructor -- who is serving time for indecency with another child -- claiming she endured years of abuse that began when she was just 10 years old.

“I feel very betrayed,” said the victim’s mother. “We had been with Rice for many years, and I thought we were doing right by our child the whole time, when what we were actually doing was putting her in danger.”

According to the lawsuit, Dariusz Pawlas began sexually abusing the child during private piano lessons at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Read more.

5. Hundreds of invasive fish removed from Texas waterway: This is what state wildlife authorities want you to know

Researchers from Texas A&M and Texas State universities removed more than 400 invasive suckermouth armored catfish from the San Marcos River in Texas.

During the dewatering event at Rio Vista Park, 406 of the fish -- known as plecos or SAC -- were removed.

“Information collected from these fish will help managers to better understand how to effectively control this invasive species,” state wildlife officials said in the Texas Rivers & Streams - Texas Parks and Wildlife Facebook post. “SAC have been introduced to numerous water bodies in Texas through aquarium dumping.”

Read more.


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