HOUSTON — Houston police arrested a man who's accused of attacking people in a park and kidnapping and sexually assaulting one of the victims. Officials said friends tracked a stolen phone, helping police catch the suspect.
Josue Carranza is accused of kidnapping the woman and bringing her to MacGregor Park in late March. And at gunpoint sexually assaulting her. These court documents have some disturbing details.
Josue Carranza faced a judge for a series of crimes he's accused of committing stretching from Clark Park in north Houston to MacGregor Park in south Houston. He's now charged with four felony offenses.
"Four felony offenses, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated robbery deadly weapon," the prosecutor said during a court appearance.
According to court documents, the suspect lives with his wife and mother-in-law less than half a mile from the initial scene at Clark Park. Documents said the crime spree started when Carranza approached a group of three people who'd just finished a workout.
"The defendant robbed all three complainants at gunpoint, he then forced this complainant into a vehicle, made her drive to an ATM where he took her money, he then forced her to drive to the store," the prosecutor said.
After that, officials said, he took the victim to Mac Gregor Park forced her to remove her clothes and then forced her to perform a sexual act on him. Carranza forced the victim to comply by threatening and exhibiting a deadly weapon -- which was a gun.
"I do feel there needs to be a high bond due to the nature of these crimes," the judge said.
It’s not clear how long it took for the series of incidents to play out, but authorities said friends tracked one of the phones stolen in the initial robbery helping put an end to a terrifying ordeal.
"Responding officers observed the defendant sexually assaulting complainant," the prosecutor said.
Bond for each of the four charges is $125,000.