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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Vol. 67 • No. 05
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Search for thief continues after Cadillac recovered By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The Cadillac stolen from an auto repair shop in the Heights earlier this month was recovered by police. But the search for the man responsible for swiping the car in broad daylight – and using it to run over the technician who owns the shop – remains ongoing. The robbery division for the Houston Police Deparment on Tuesday posted surveillance video of the suspected car thief -
taken from a nearby convenience store on the morning of the aggravated robbery at Fixers Tire & Automotive - to its Facebook page. The man in the footage is bald with a dark complexion and a tattoo on the back side of his right leg, just below the knee, and was wearing a light gray T-shirt, dark gray cargo shorts and black shoes at the time. “I hope somebody recognizes him and he gets caught,” said Crina Micu, whose 65-year-old husband, Tarfin, owns the auto shop at 147 E. 11th St. and is
View surveillance video at TheLeaderNews.com
recovering from multiple injuries sustained during the Jan. 14 robbery. Three people were inside the stolen candy apple red Cadillac when HPD officers tracked it down the night of Jan. 21 and forced the driver to veer into a ditch at the intersection of Woodvine Drive and Jalna Street in the Spring Branch area, according to
HPD spokesperson John Cannon, who said officers believed the vehicle had been tied to a series of robberies in the northwest part of town. Cannon said all three people were questioned and released at the scene, however. “That pisses me off so badly,” Crina Micu said. “Obviously, somebody knew what’s going on in that car.” Still, Micu and the owner of the 2012 Cadillac CTS, Fixers Photo from Facebook customer and First Ward resident The man in this surveillance Michael McKiernan, said police footage is suspected of being See Fixers P. 5A
Trees, please
involved in a Jan. 14 robbery.
Man accused of stabbing K-9 arrested again three days later By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
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INSIDE.
Preview party. Memorial Park’s new Land Bridge will be unveiled to the city on Feb. 5.
Page 4A
Photo by Landan Kuhlmann A community member plants a tree Saturday during an Arbor Day event hosted by the City of Houston at Montie Beach Park. Volunteers helped to plant 1,000 trees at Montie Beach Park last Saturday as part of an effort to further beautify the park.
City celebrates Arbor Day with local tree-planting event By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Art and aviation. Eva Konopka is an avid aviator whose artwork is inspired by her flights.
Page 7A
Soccer shootout. St. Thomas and St. Pius X recently renewed their rivalry on the pitch.
Eddie and Jennifer Gatica make numerous weekly trips to Montie Beach Park with their young son and have experienced its serenity and beauty. So when they heard about a recent project meant to add to the park’s amenities for future generations, it made too much sense to take part in it. “We use the park so much, and see so many people investing in it. Especially with the pandemic, this has become like our backyard,” Jennifer Gatica said. “It’s been really exciting to see people want to improve upon it, because it’s just invaluable.” The Gaticas were among hundreds of volunteers who came out to Montie Beach Park, 915 Northwood St., last Saturday to celebrate Arbor Day with the planting of 1,000 trees in existing open green space. Partners from the City of Houston, Texas A&M Forest Service and more joined with community volunteers from around the city as part of Houston’s 36th annual Arbor Day celebration.
See Stabbing P. 5A
Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Evan Compean, a member of the Montie Beach Civic Club, speaks during an Arbor Day tree-planting event held last Saturday.
See Trees P. 5A
Photo from Twitter HPD police dog Nate, pictured above, was stabbed in pursuit of a suspect in the Heights last week.
Realtor Hartman remembered as fun-loving family man
Page 4B
By Adam Zuvanich
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 4B Food/Drink............................................. 7A Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports......................................................... 4B
A man accused of stabbing a police dog in the Heights area last weekend also is a person of interest in the subsequent death of his father, according to Kevin Deese of the Houston Police Department. Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, was arrested early Jan. 22 and charged with interfering with a police service animal as well as robbery with bodily injury, both felonies, for his suspected role Smith in the incident, according to Harris County court records, which show he also was charged with misdemeanor evading arrest. Smith was released from jail Jan. 23 on a bond paid by his family, according to Deese, who said Smith’s father was found dead Tuesday at the West Houston residence where Smith was suspected of having gone after his release from jail. Deese said officers allegedly spotted Smith in his father’s vehicle and parked near the residence in the 14700 block of Carolcrest Drive,
Bill Hartman
Bill Hartman made a memorable impression on many of the people who met him, at least partly because of his affable nature and fun-loving personality. He was quick to tell a joke or give a friend a hard time, usually while wearing an easy smile. The longtime local resident, who died Jan. 19 at age 90, also made a serious impact on his family and the community he called home. Hartman owned a successful real estate business for 25 years, paving the way for two of his children and one of his grandchildren to enter the
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profession, was a deacon at church and served local kids by coaching youth baseball and softball. He was especially beloved and cherished by his family, which includes four children, nine grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. “I want him to be remembered as a good man who loved the Lord and was a great father,” said Hartman’s wife of 66 years, Ailene. “I’m going to add, he was a great husband,” said one of his daughters, Janet Schmidt. Bill and Ailene Hartman met at church
when the latter was a high school student in the Heights, got married in 1955 and then spent only a few nights away from each other while building a real estate career together and raising a family in the Heights, Shepherd Forest, Timbergrove and Shepherd Park Plaza, where Bill lived the last 22 years of his life. He owned a Century 21 real estate brokerage from 1974-99 – with he and Ailene both working for the business – and kept his real estate license active until just a few years ago. Among Hartman’s clients was former See Hartman P. 5A
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Apply today at www.MTFCU.coop *To qualify for the cash prizes, you must refinance an auto loan from another lender before 3/31/2022. The minimum loan amount is $10,000. Eligible persons may also enter the drawing by submitting a handwritten form without purchase or obligation. Mail a 3×5 card with a name, address, and contact information to Members Trust Federal Credit Union, Attn: Marketing, 2315 Mangum Road Houston, TX 77092. Entries must be received no later than 12 pm CST on 3/31/2022. Winners are selected in a random drawing to be held by the credit union during April 2022. Officials and employees of the Credit Union and their family members are not eligible to participate in the Drawing. You must be current on your MTFCU accounts to qualify. Bonus is considered interest and may be reported to IRS Form 1099-INT. Please consult your tax advisor on any legal, tax, or financial issues. Offer ends 3/31/2020.