HOUSTON — A man accused of helping to steal a woman’s car at gunpoint that was later involved in a deadly crash was in court Thursday.
Kerrick Bettie, 21, is accused of riding with the driver they said led police on a chase in the car that was later involved in a deadly wreck. The crash took the life of an officer’s mom.
Bettie, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. The judge on Thursday kept Bettie’s bond at $30,000.
The woman Bettie is accused of robbing was at the hearing Thursday. Cathleen Hill said she is upset and heartbroken over the 75-year-old woman who was killed.
“I first heard my car was on fire and I expected that,” Hill said. “But then seconds later, they said they killed a lady in my car, and I lost it. The car can be replaced but her life can’t."
Hill said she bought the brand-new charger only for it to be left in shambles as a result of the crash.
What happened?
Hill said she was driving near Hobby Airport and a car rear-ended her.
She got out to see what happened and two men, who police identified as 18-year-old Trenton Bevel and Bettie, hopped out of a car with ski masks and guns demanding she give up her new Charger.
“I thought I was going to lose my life at that moment,” Hill said.
Investigators said with Hill’s help they tracked the car down about 12 hours later on Martin Luther King Blvd near Van Fleet.
A high-speed chase started, and police said after the chase ended, Bevel crashed into three cars that were stopped at a red light, which injured two innocent bystanders and killed HPD Sgt. Ricky Collins’ mom, Gloria.
HPD said Bevel, who was driving the stolen car, is charged with murder and is on life support at a hospital.