One killed in sports car crash in NW Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The driver of a Dodge Viper died after he crashed into a pole overnight in northwest Houston, investigators said.

Officials said the driver was speeding south down Cunningham near Little York when he lost control and skidded sideways off the road.

The car slammed head-on into a telephone pole, which then split in half and fell over.

Authorities said the car flipped, killing the driver.

A passenger in the car was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in serious but stable condition.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

2 bodies found in apartment complex rubble.

HOUSTON - Two bodies have been found in the rubble of an apartment building that burned down last week.

The Harris County Medical Examiner was called out to the complex in the 13900 block of Ella Blvd on Monday morning. The complex is located north of Houston in a northern part of the county.

A family member tells FOX 26 News the bodies are that of his son-in-law and daughter, both of whom were reported missing since the time of the fire last Wednesday.
It's not yet known how the bodies were discovered.

Aerial views from SkyFox showed several county vehicles at the scene.

2 Bodies Found in Rubble of Burned Apartment Building: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Another cyclist killed in NW Houston - hit & run

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A bicyclist who was hit by a car in northwest Harris County has died.

Sheriff's deputies say the man was riding across FM 529 near Jackrabbit last night. He was struck by a car and left in the middle of the road. Another person saw the bicyclist in the street and called for help.

The victim died at the hospital. Police are now searching for the driver.

Child may have started fire in NW Houston home ...

by KHOU.com staff
khou.com

HFD: Child found hiding in burning home was playing with lighter on couch
HOUSTON – Investigators are trying to determine if an 5-year-old boy accidentally started a house fire in northwest Houston Tuesday morning before he panicked and hid, according to the Houston Fire Department.
HFD responded to an emergency call at a home on East 43rd Street and Arlington around 9 a.m.

A father standing outside the home when firefighters arrived told them he could not find his son.

Firefighters went inside and found a couch on fire. They extinguished the flames, then searched for the missing child.

The boy was found hiding behind a recliner and was brought to safety. He was crying, but was not harmed. He was transported to the hospital as a precaution.
Investigators said the child may have had something to do with the fire.
“We’re assuming the kid might have started it, but at this time it is under investigation,” said District Chief Thomas Ponce.

Chief Ponce said the child did what most children do when they are faced with danger.
“He immediately hid and was very scared, that is what they do. They hide right away,” Chief Ponce said.

The child's aunt said he may have been standing too close to a space heater while wrapped in a blanket.

"You know how they play with the blanket and stuff and it (the fire) probably caught onto the blanket and he didn’t know what to do," Margo Jordan said.
Officials said parents should teach children to do the opposite in the event of a fire. Children should be taught to never hide indoors; they should immediately search for a clear exit. They should be taught the key word is “outside” in the event of a fire.

Parents should have regular drills at home and help children find routes to safety. They should also should be shown the "red alert" spots, or the places they should never go: under the bed, in the closet or any rooms where there are no windows.
Children should also know where fire extinguishers are located and should be able to recognize the sound of a smoke detector. They should also know the outdoor rendezvous spots if the family is separated.

Two men shot in parking lot ,,,

by KHOU.com staff
khou.com
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 7:33 AM
Updated today at 9:36 AM

HOUSTON—Harris County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a shooting that left two people dead outside a flea market in north Harris County Sunday evening.
Deputies arrived to the 8800 block of Airline and found two men shot in the parking lot shortly before 7 p.m.
Witnesses said the two had been arguing with another man, who is believed to be in his late teens to early 20s, when the young man began firing in the crowded parking lot.
Both of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. It was not known if any bystanders were struck.
The suspect is still on the loose. He was last seen running north on Airline toward Gulf Bank.

Severe weather expected today in Houston area

KRPC: You can see a wall of heavy rain," KPRC Local 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez. "From 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock is the time to watch for these dangerous storms."

"Do not take these warnings lightly. Typically, whenever we get these and see a pattern like we had this morning, we'll see a handful of tornadoes," Yanez said.

Gusty winds and scattered showers moved through the area at 2 a.m., knocking out power to 30,000 CenterPoint Energy customers. As of 6:30 a.m., approximately 18,000 people remained without electricity.

"Earlier this morning, we had wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph," Yanez said. "That's what knocked down some of those trees and power lines. We could still see some 60 mph straight-line winds, hail and lots of lightning."

A low-pressure system is responsible for strong storms in central and northern Texas, which are expected to drench the Houston area most of the day.

"There's a couple of lines that we're tracking. The strongest one will arrive in Houston around noon. It's a concern for this morning until early afternoon. The radar is picking up a lot of twisting winds," Yanez said. "It's going to be wet from 8 o'clock all the way through 2 o'clock. By 5 p.m., this storm system will be in our eastern counties."

Yanez said south of Interstate 10 is not expected to see the strongest storms.

"It's a lot more scattered and not as well put together," Yanez said.

Power outages caused problems for some southwest Houston businesses.

Whataburger on the Southwest Freeway near Weslayan had to turn away customers when employees could not prepare food for the morning rush.

"Their lights just came back on (at 6 a.m.), but they weren't ready to serve yet," customer Carol Bennett said.

Many Houstonians were worried about flooding after severe weather left its mark on Jan. 9.

Houston firefighters performed about 140 water rescues when people became stranded in high water.

Officials warned drivers to "turn around, not drown" if they approached rising water.

Flooding is the most common hazard in Houston and many times, individuals are not able to judge the depths of water along roadways and find themselves in perilous conditions.

Officials said 6 inches of water can cause tires to lose traction and begin to slide, and 12 inches of water can float many cars. Two feet of rushing water will carry off pickup trucks, SUVs and most other vehicles.

Water across a roadway may hide a missing segment of road or a missing bridge, officials said.

In flash floods, waters rise so rapidly they may be far deeper by the time you are halfway across, trapping you in your vehicle.

Be especially cautious at night, when it's even more difficult to gauge the amount of water in a roadway.

The safest option is to simply avoid driving over water and find an alternate, safer route, or wait until the danger has passed.

3 arrested in NW Houston may be linked to a string of crimes.

by Rehka Muddaraj / KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 5:46 PM
Updated yesterday at 6:40 PM

HOUSTON – Three men arrested Wednesday for allegedly breaking into a home may be linked to a string of burglaries in northwest Houston.
Police launched an undercover surveillance operation in the Oak Forest neighborhood after at least 25 burglaries were reported in recent months.

They were patrolling the area when they spotted a suspicious vehicle that they believe was casing a home.

They pulled the suspects over and found stolen property in the car, including an iPad from a home on LaMonte Street.
Police drove to that home and saw that the door had been kicked in.
Officers were still on the scene when homeowner Charles Davis came home for his lunch break.

After searching his ransacked home, Davis said the burglars stole computers, a cell phone and possibly a handgun.

He knew about the rash of burglaries, but didn’t think he’d be the next victim.
"Our neighbors across the street got broken into," Davis said. "I’m glad they caught them, excited about that."

Police are still looking for a second group of suspects who have been breaking into homes in the same area.