Bellaire residents scare off would-be burglar, robbers in daytime incidents

Bellaire residents successfully thwarted two crime attempts within blocks of each other midday Thursday – but police say the incidents aren’t related.
The first was an attempted home burglary shortly after noon in the 5300 block of Pine Street. The second was an attempted armed robbery about an hour later in the 5300 block of Holly Street.
In the first incident, the resident heard the front doorbell ring but didn’t answer. Minutes later, a suspect kicked in the rear door of the home. When the resident verbally confronted him, the suspect ran to a waiting vehicle on the street and fled. He is described as a thin black male, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, with short hair, wearing a black shirt, long tan pants, and white tennis shoes. An older black man was driving the getaway car, described as a small four-door gold or tan vehicle.
Bellaire police suggest that you announce your presence to an unknown person who comes to your front door, keeping the door closed and asking what they need. If the person is selling items or aggressively trying to open the door, call police at 713-668-0487.
In the second incident, a resident was in his parked vehicle when he saw a silver SUV pull up alongside him and a man with a small handgun and covering his face with a blue bandana approach him. The resident, who had a concealed weapon permit, pulled his own weapon and pointed it at the suspect, who fled on foot toward Alder Street. The vehicle also fled and picked up the suspect on Alder, heading north. The intended victim was able to supply RD2 or RDZ as a partial license plate on the silver SUV.
The armed suspect is described as a young Hispanic man with short, black, wavy hair, wearing a light blue T-shirt, khaki shorts and white tennis shoes. The getaway driver is described as a young Hispanic male, who also wore a blue bandana. A third Hispanic male was a passenger. He wore a red bandana over his face and a baseball cap.
On Tuesday afternoon, a resident of Braeburn Street was robbed at gunpoint outside his home after apparently being followed from the Bank of America on Bellaire Boulevard, from which he had just withdrawn cash.