HOUSTON — A mother wants more people held responsible after her son was killed in a staged robbery in north Houston.
William Winfrey was charged with murder in Rasshauud Scott's death, but he didn't pull the trigger. Winfrey is accused of organizing the staged robbery that led to Scott's death.
On Jan. 27, Scott pretended to rob a couple at a gas station on Ella Boulevard at Greens Parkway. Witnesses reported at one point, Scott hit one of the victims with a pistol.
A bystander thought they were witnessing a real robbery. The bystander told police that he felt “in fear for his life,” and feared for the other individual’s life too, so he shot Scott and drove off. He later turned himself in and was questioned by detectives before he was released.
According to court documents, the bystander was on probation. It's why Green thinks he should also be charged in Scott's death.
"I’d like to see him involved in being charged because you’re on probation," Green said. "You had a gun. Why were you even let go?"
Detectives spoke with Scott’s wife after the shooting. She told them the robbery was a setup and it wasn't the first time Scott participated in a fake robbery.
Scott’s wife said the “victims” and the “robbers” make the robbery look legitimate so the “victims” would use an incident number to later make insurance claims and split the profits. According to detectives, other "victims" in these robberies could use their status as a crime victim to apply for a U non-immigrant visa.
Police asked who Scott was working with and the wife gave police information they later used to identify Winfrey.
In March, Winfrey told police during an interview that he and Scott had been engaging in staged robberies for the last year or so to make money. Winfrey would receive money from another man and in turn, would pay Scott for his role in the robberies. Winfrey admitted to police that he gave Scott an airsoft gun to use in the fake robbery on Ella Boulevard about an hour before the "job" turned deadly.
“Winfrey directly encouraged, aided, and/or assisted in the commission of an act clearly dangerous to human life,” court documents read.
In addition to murder, Winfrey could face additional charges, police told KHOU 11.
A second suspect has been charged in connection to the case. Selzer Fernandes is facing a charge of tampering with surveillance video involving an active homicide investigation. According to court records, Fernandes was the employee at the gas station the night of the staged robbery. He is currently out on bond.
After coping with her son’s death, Green is hoping others don’t get involved in such schemes.
“He didn’t really rob anybody, but in the event of all of that, he lost his life," she said. "Don’t get involved in such things just to get quick money. There are always other ways because we never know when our day come."