Houston, TX- A middle school teacher from Houston is being hailed as a hero for his courageous act of saving a 15-year-old girl from a horrifying assault. He fearlessly confronted and scared off her attacker, demonstrating immense bravery.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight last Sunday on the east side of Houston, according to investigators from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. A video captures the moment when David Garza, a middle school teacher, swiftly responds to a young girl’s cries for assistance, springing into action from his apartment.
“I looked out the window, and I saw a man beating up a woman on the ground. He was trying to take her clothes off,” Garza said.
Without hesitation, he retrieved his firearm and bravely confronted the assailant.
“I ran upstairs and grabbed my pistol. Then, I came outside and asked what was going on. The girl screamed, ‘I’m 15. Help me.’ So, I pointed my gun at him,” Garza said.
According to Garza, the suspect had a firm grip on the victim’s hair.
“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,” he said.
A neighbor claims that Garza potentially prevented a disastrous outcome for the teenager. According to her, she witnessed the incident from her window.
“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.
According to investigators, the victim, who is 15 years old, was present on the bus along with the suspect. After she disembarked from the bus, he trailed behind her as she made her way across the street and entered an apartment complex. It was there that he launched a vicious attack on her. According to a neighbor familiar with the situation, the teenager was on her way to visit a friend.
Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to locate the individual in question.
Garza is being praised as a hero, but the teacher insists he simply did what was right. According to him, this was not the first instance of him pursuing a man who posed a threat to a child.
“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.
Authorities have made public a photograph of the individual believed to be involved. During the attack, he was dressed in a black hoodie featuring a white Reebok logo, paired with blue jeans and white tennis shoes. If anyone has any information regarding his identity or whereabouts, please contact Crime Stoppers.