Community fighting back against crime

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The daughter of a convenience store owner murdered last week says a crime forum on the east end is long overdue.

Last Wednesday someone walked into a convenience store on the east side and murdered the owner and a clerk. Whoever did it is still on the run.

Surrounded by family, Faiza Zubair attended a meeting on a mission.

She said, "The fear is now this could happen to anybody."

Almost one week after her father and his clerk were brutally murdered at his store, Zubair attended Tuesday night's meeting in hopes of preventing other tragedies.

"What specific examples can you give me that are taking place to prevent further crimes?" Zubair asked.

The meeting put on by Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino and HPD drew about 100 concerned residents.

"My frustration is when I call your office, no one knows what's going on," one resident said.

Many of them are asking the very same questions...

'Unfortunately, convenience stores have become convenient for criminals," a resident said. "They should be convenient for people like us."

On paper the east end is doing well in terms of crime. Compared to last year, our Crime Tracker shows a drop of more than 18 percent. But with the murder at the convenience store -- the same store robbed just one week before -- police recognize what folks living here already know.

Assistant Chief Dorothy Edwards with HPD South Patrol explained, "We all take it personally when something like this happens. We all identify and we don't' want to see that happen to anybody's family."

The constable says he has increased visibility around the gas station, and HPD has dedicated three different overtime initiatives in the area. Zubair appreciates all these measures, but in her case, it comes a week too late.

She said, "For the future I urge that if there is any, any clue that something like this is going to happen, we take more action. We become more serious right away. We don't wait before somebody dies before we come out here."

If you can help investigators find who is responsible for the double murder at the convenience store, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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