One of our assignment managers has a saying: "go put your eyes on it." It's something she says when she asks a photographer or news crew to go check out something based on scanner traffic or other information. It often turns out to be nothing. But, in this case, traffic about a person in body armor shooting at a house turned out to be legit. In fact, I found out on the scene that it was the second such shooting in as many weeks. We ended up getting interviews with neighbors and the homeowners shared surveillance with us. It became a good exclusive story by just "putting our eyes on it."
Friday, July 10, 2026
Asleep At The Wheel
This story was the result of a digital manager spotting a post on Facebook. Someone shared the story of a driver who appeared to be asleep behind the wheel while traveling on the Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land. He even shot some video of the driver and how several other drivers kind of corralled him before the slow-moving SUV ended up on the shoulder. We sent a message to the person who posted on Facebook and I connected with him, did an interview, and turned this story which did well on our digital platforms.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Out Of Control Truck Strikes Preschool Buses
This is a good example of a story that started on social media. Someone Facebook messaged me about a fundraiser set up for a Houston area preschool. I thought, "okay." Then I read about the reason the preschool needed money. Turns out, an out of control pickup truck slammed into two of its buses. I thought to call and see if any surveillance video existed. Fortunately, the preschool shared video as did a driver who happened to be passing by at the time of the crash. His dashboard camera caught it. Having multiple angles showing the incident definitely made the difference in whether this got coverage. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Monday, January 19, 2026
Four Days, Three Exclusive Stories.. Including This One Regarding A Double Murder
A double murder near the Houston suburb of Katy got a ton of attention partly because a couple in their 50s were fatally shot while two adult children and a seven-year-old child were also in the home at the time. I tracked down the two adult children through a family friend who started a GoFundMe page. The adult children agreed to speak with me over the phone. We shot it showing me on the phone with them rather than a slate with a phone graphic or something similar. I turned this story in the middle of covering another, unrelated story and breaking news. This was my third exclusive or "only on" story in four days. All were interviews other stations were also interested in getting. Each one took a bit of social media sleuthing and other skills.
NRG Stadium Custodial Worker Charged With Child Sex Crime
This is a story we found out about after a lawsuit was filed by the parents of an eight-year-old boy who claims the child was molested inside a men's room at NRG Stadium during a Texans game. Turns out, the custodial worker named in the lawsuit had been criminally charged as well. HPD announced it was looking for more potential witnesses the day this story aired. In this case, a law firm representing the child's parents coordinated an interview with them. Getting access like this makes any story much more compelling. Understandably, we agreed to keep their identities private in order to protect the child.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Catching Up With A Houston Christmas Tradition: "Pancho Claus"
I didn't post this back on December 25th.. But I caught with "Pancho Claus" again after a number of years. Despite health and other struggles, Richard Reyes's alter-ego has spread cheer for more than four decades. He and his caravan once again delivered gifts and joy through the streets of the East End. This is one of those stories you'll know will always be there on Christmas morning. It's kind of its own gift for news crews looking for something to cover on what could be a slow news day.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Police Officer Rescues Suicidal 11-Year-Old Along Freeway
This story got the most engagement of any other I've done in quite some time. It originated with a Facebook post by the Shenandoah Police Department (a suburb north of Houston). It detailed an officer's actions when he and others got a call about an 11-year-old girl on the freeway. She sat atop a barrier on an overpass and threatened to jump. We requested an interview with the officer and also got his body camera video. It helped me tell a very compelling story that resonated with thousands on social media and elsewhere.
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