Two men arrested after being accused of beating a man they say is a repeat burglar near Luell Street in north Houston, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Police say two men have been arrested and charged after being accused of beating a man they say is a repeat burglar.

Rodolfo Ramirez, 46, and Joel Ramirez, 43, were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for Wednesday morning’s attack on a 42-year-old homeless man.

According to court documents, the suspects saw the man standing next to a vehicle outside their home on Luell Street in North Houston just after 4 a.m. and claimed he was responsible for a series of vehicle burglaries.

Police say one of the men began hitting the victim with a metal bat, while the other hit him with a handgun.

“Every time they hit him, he was screaming and they were talking in Spanish,” said Willie Gaines, who witnessed part of the attack.

A Spanish-speaking witness told Eyewitness News that the victim was pleading with his attackers, quoting him as saying, “I won’t do it again. I promise.”

“The way I look at it, he got what was coming to him,” Gaines said.

Police told Eyewitness News that they have received no reports of vehicle burglaries at the suspects’ home in the past six months, and that the victim has never been charged with a crime.

Still, neighbors Eyewitness News spoke to off camera say they sympathize with the suspects.

“You don’t steal from people. When you borrow something from people, you bring it back. You don’t take it away,” Gaines said.

Eyewitness News has been unable to reach the suspects and the victim in this case for their account of what happened.

Earlier this week, Houston police urged people not to confront suspected thieves and instead call authorities.

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