John Jefferson
Background: The scene where Nelson Beckett was killed after allegedly being beaten and run over by a carjacker (KTRK/YouTube). Inset: Nelson Beckett (Southwest Central Church/Facebook).
A 90-year-old veteran has died after apparently being assaulted, shot, and then run over by his own vehicle during a carjacking in Texas.
Nelson Beckett has been identified as the victim in the attack, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported. He was identified by his son, Tim Beckett, the outlet reported.
Houston Police announced Sunday that the department is investigating the fatal attack, which took place at around 12:45 p.m. on Saturday near the apartment complex where Nelson Beckett lived.
“HPD patrol officers responded to an assault in progress with a weapon call at an independent living community at the above address and found a man with gunshot wounds lying in the parking lot,” a press statement said. “Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and transported the man to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
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The preliminary investigation found that the victim “was at his vehicle and was approached by an unknown male suspect who assaulted him.” The suspect shot the older man and took his belongings before also taking his car and hitting him as he fled the scene.
The car was later recovered at an apartment complex.
“The suspect is described only as a black male, believed to 25 to 30 years of age,” police said.
Police said that the suspect and the victim did not know each other.
“This is just as pathetic as it gets. That’s all I’ll say,” Lt. Jonathan French with the Houston Police Department said, according to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.
Tim Beckett told KTRK that his father is survived by two children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Nelson Beckett served in the Navy before working in sales and taking an active role in his church, Southwest Central Church, which also shared the news of his death.
Beckett’s daughter, Tami Freund, released a statement to local Fox affiliate KRIV describing her father as “the kindest, funniest man you’d ever meet.”
“He loved to make someone laugh and brighten their day,” she said, according to KRIV. “To him, everyone had value. He spent his days driving people to places who did not have a car. Driving them to doctors’ appointments, FEMA, rehab, stores, etc., wherever they needed to go. He even would drive some friends from a halfway house to panhandle and take them to church on Sundays. He even baptized several of them. He would do anything for anyone.”
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