$120K bond for suspect in violent robberies at Houston auto shops

HOUSTON — A judge has established bond for the guy accused of robbing two vehicle retailers in north Houston.

Andrew Garza, 20, was arrested on Thursday, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. He is thought to be the person noticed on camera pistol-whipping personnel from equally businesses and robbing one of them.

Connected: ‘We bought absent with our life’ | Victims in violent car store theft grateful suspect was arrested

Garza appeared in courtroom for a possible cause hearing at about 10 p.m. Thursday night. 

The judge set his bond at $120,000 for two rates of aggravated theft with a deadly weapon.

Documents obtained by KHOU 11 demonstrate that an additional robbery demand was filed versus Garza on Friday. The bond for that case has not been set.

The judge also said Garza was by now out of jail on bond when the robberies transpired.

His upcoming courtroom day is scheduled for Monday, April 11.

Take note: The subsequent video clips had been uploaded on Thursday, April 7

Related: Suspect pistol whips workforce for the duration of violent robberies at two Houston enterprises

Authorities claimed Garza posed as a client on March 29 at EntireX Tire and Wheel in northeast Houston inquiring about getting new tires on his truck.

That’s when they claimed he attacked a person of the store’s clerks and place a gun to her head.

The robbery lasted a few minutes, and the attacker reportedly got away with $2,000, telephones, and other products. He was found having into a white Ford truck with blacked-out home windows and two other guys ready within.

The victims were retailer proprietor Myke Hastings’ brother and wife. He identified out what occurred although he was performing on cars and trucks out in the garage.

“My wife does not want to come in anymore,” Hastings explained. “Which is one more thing, worker or family members, it does not make a difference. This isn’t a position they attribute to protection anymore.”

Hastings stated his staff members now congregate in bigger figures in the shop, and whenever a opportunity customer suspiciously backs into the parking lot, he’s on notify.

“Even a few or 4 seconds is adequate time to respond to help you save your lifestyle or preserve you from currently being the following target,” Hastings claimed.

In accordance to court files, Andrew Garza was caught after an nameless idea. Immediately after his arrest was declared, Hastings expressed aid.

“Eights times is a hell of a turnaround time, in particular with what they are likely by, so we are extremely grateful for the peace of intellect they’ve been able to give us, since up until eventually that cell phone connect with, we had been anxious,” he reported.

Hastings’ organization was not the only 1 specific.

Throughout the freeway, just 5 minutes in advance of the assault on March 29, the identical male was caught on surveillance video at Distinctive DTS, a vehicle extras store.

He’s seen walking about the keep in advance of leaving in the white Ford truck witnessed at Hastings’ store.

Monday morning, Unique DTS proprietor Luis Sanchez mentioned the identical person showed up yet again, but this time the only other person in the retail outlet was a girl working guiding the desk.

“He strike Angie. She’s our secretary. She’s our entrance desk. She’s bleeding, and her fingers are broken,” Sanchez stated.

She was taken to a clinic and had to get staples in her head from her accidents.

“He bought away with $2,000. We received absent with our lifestyle,” said Hastings.

“What we have obtained by a ton of this is a ton of mental consciousness,” he explained. “We consider greater safety measures, we have better plan, we have much better safety measures on-web page, and we’re all staying hypervigilant and more than knowledgeable.”