OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:12 PM – Friday, August 9, 2024
A middle school teacher in Houston has been hailed as a hero for saving the life of a 15-year-old girl who was the victim of an attack and attempted sexual assault. The teacher had confronted the man and scared him off while yielding his gun.
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Investigators from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident occurred on Houston’s east side just before midnight on Sunday, July 28th.
In a dramatic video, David Garza, the middle school teacher, is seen running from his residence while holding a weapon and wearing only his boxers. He explained that he was merely “following his instincts” after hearing a woman calling for help in the distance.
“I looked out the window, and I saw a man beating up a woman on the ground. He was [also] trying to take her clothes off,” Garza said.
Garza noted that he first went to retrieve his firearm and then he immediately searched for the assailant and the girl without second thought.
“I ran upstairs and grabbed my pistol. Then, I came outside and asked what’s going on. The girl screamed, ‘I’m 15. Help me.’ So, I pointed my gun at him,” Garza explained.
At this point, the attacker had the young victim by the hair, and it was clear that he had attempted to take her clothes off. Nevertheless, as soon as Garza arrived with his gun, stopping the suspect, the girl was able to take off running.
“He took his hands off right away. He went chasing after her, so I went chasing after him. She got away. She went to someone she knew’s apartment,” Garza said.
According to a neighbor who spoke with reporters, Garza prevented the 15-year-old from a potentially fatal situation. She claims that she was watching the incident from her window and that she did not know what to do until Garza finally stepped in.
“At first, I was scared because I literally thought she was about to get raped. I think if he didn’t come out, she probably would have gotten raped,” she said.
The 15-year-old girl was reportedly riding on the bus alone when the suspect noticed her. He then got up and left the bus, following her from behind, before pursuing her across the street and into an apartment complex. After she turned around and noticed him following her, he ran up and began attacking her, pushing her down to the ground.
Investigators obtained camera footage of the suspect leaving the bus, but they are still searching for him.
Although Garza is being praised as a hero, he told reporters that he was just simply doing the right thing. According to him, this was also not the first time he had pursued someone who was attempting to hurt a minor.
“I was scared, too. I’m not going to lie, but she needed help more than I was afraid, so I had to do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Andy Kahan, a victim advocate for the group Crime Stoppers, chimed in with his own comments as well.
“If you’re willing to do this where everybody is and people can actually see what you’re doing, that makes me wonder: A. Is this your first time? B. We need to get you off the streets before you continue to hurt young girls again,” Kahan said.
Although blurry and out of focus, the suspect’s photo has been made public by investigators. At the time of the incident, he was dressed in blue pants, white tennis shoes, and a black hoodie with a white Reebok emblem.
Call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS if you have any information on his identity or whereabouts.
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