Thieves receiving a taste of justice might not be an everyday occurrence, but for a lawn worker in Houston, that’s exactly what happened. On March 30th, while trimming a client’s lawn with a weed eater, the worker spotted two vehicles – a red Nissan and a black Mercedes parked by his equipment near several houses on Renmark Lane in the 8200 block.
What unfolded next was a brazen daylight robbery in the community. The worker paused as he witnessed the thieves grabbing two backpack-style leaf blowers, each worth hundreds of dollars, and tossing them into the backseat of the cars before preparing to drive off.
Harris County officer Mark Herman stated that as the suspects attempted to drive past the worker, they tried to hit him with their vehicle, prompting the worker to hurl his weed eater javelin-style towards the car. One suspect, 24-year-old Jerell Alexander, fell out of the backseat onto the road.
Alexander was captured on camera struggling to stand up while the car drove a few yards before coming to a halt. “Jerell, get in the car!” a suspect inside the vehicle yelled in the video.
The worker retrieved his weed eater and confronted the suspects, who seemed bewildered and attempted to flee. The worker struck the thief on the head as neighbors arrived at the scene.
“They’re stealing my equipment!” the worker informed the neighbors, who repeatedly instructed the fleeing suspect to “stay put, stay put!”
Alexander hesitated briefly, and the red Nissan reversed to pick him up, with the tires screeching against the ground. When the worker approached the car to impede their escape, the suspects drew firearms, according to the officer.
The injured suspect was taken to a local hospital by his accomplice and detained, while some other perpetrators remain at large. Surveillance footage identified the five suspects as African American males.
According to reports from WFAA, Alexander is now facing serious robbery charges involving the use of a deadly weapon, having been recently released after a 2019 robbery resulting in bodily harm.
Officer Herman approved of the worker’s actions to prevent the robbers from fleeing with his property, stating that the worker “attempted to protect his possessions and did what his instincts told him to do in the process.”
A neighbor who heard the commotion also believed the worker’s actions were justified. On April 5th, officers executed felony arrest warrants and apprehended Jonathan Dixon and his girlfriend Jada Edwards in connection with the lawn robbery, with Edwards facing charges of harboring a fugitive.
Additional suspects remain at large. Officer Herman posted on Facebook, “We will continue to investigate to determine the identities of the other suspects who fled the scene. If you have any information regarding this case or the identities of these suspects, please contact our dispatch at 281-376-3472.”
The original article, titled “VIDEO: Lawn Worker Sees Bandits Stealing Tools, Swats Suspects With Weed Eater to Protect Property,” was published on the English edition of Epoch Inspired.