Galveston: Armed robbery on the East-End Seawall

[seamusTX]

Two women tourists returning to the La Quinta Inn, 1402 Seawall Boulevard at 10:30 p.m. Thursday were robbed. The robber reportedly beat them with a gun and took a purse (only one purse?).

The robber is described as a stocky black man in his 20s.

The victims suffered minor injuries.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.las ... 3d73c#omen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This area is a bad combination: There are a lot of good hotels and business that attract tourists (bars and restaurants, mostly), with a lot of scummy people living within easy walking distances. Add two women walking late at night, and it is the proverbial recipe for disaster.

Still, there are only a couple of armed robberies of pedestrians per year in town, with over a million tourists a year. Most of the are like this: likely victims out late at night.

I don't want to scare anyone off visiting Galveston (after all, I live here). Just be careful.

- Jim

[Oldgringo]

It seems that when some people go on vacation or holiday, they leave their brains at home. I wonder if these two women would take a stroll at 10:30 PM back home in Tyler where there are no bars?

[seamusTX]

What you say is quite often the case.

I've seen it with people on vacation who will get into strangers' cars or accept offers of intimate get-togethers and find themselves with a knot on their head and no wallet, watch, or phone.

OTOH, in their defense, that area doesn't look dangerous (except during hurricanes). They did not know that there are some pretty run-down areas blocks away.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Two tourists from Dallas reported being robbed in the 1500 block of Seawall Boulevard around 11:19 p.m. Saturday. They were taking photos on the Seawall when strong-arm robbers assaulted and robbed them. The robbers were described as "three black men ... between 18 and 23 years old, and they stood between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall..."

The robbers fled and have not been identified. They may have gone with accomplices in a gray Honda Accord (which is one of the most common car models and colors in the U.S.). The male victim was hospitalized with minor injuries.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/239478" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a rare robbery of tourists on the Seawall. The time certainly is a factor. The south side of the Seawall (nearer the water) is not lighted, and there is little pedestrian or vehicle traffic at that time.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Now it's getting worse.

A man was robbed by an armed robber in the 2300 block of Seawall at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The victim was not injured.

Police caught the robber in the area a short time later. The 40-year-old man was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/261122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This area should have had moderate pedestrian and vehicle traffic at that time.

- Jim

[chasfm11]

.....
Police caught the robber in the area a short time later. The 40-year-old man was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon......
- Jim

When are those felons going to get the memo that they cannot have guns? I'm sure that a Brady bunch advocate would just love an opportunity to wag their finger at this miscreat and remind him that he has to obey the law while he is robbing people.

Seriously, I do believe that some of these folks are becoming more brazen in their actions. It isn't just at 10:30pm as in one of your previous posts. The number of Wal-Mart parking lot activities in seemingly good areas over the past year re-enforces my belief that there are more folks than usual thinking that they can get away with stuff like this. This is is a pretty hefty rap for only getting a cell phone in return.

[kyreb]

Our weekend place is a small cottage at 12th and Ave K. It is close to the "tri-angle area" where Seawall Blvd meets Broadway. This area is rather seedy to say the least. The few hot sheet motels and flop houses that remain on the island can be found there.

From the time just after Hurricane Ike until recent weeks, we felt like our little neighborhood had taken a real turn for the better. Despite the destruction, in some ways that hurricane was the giant flush Galveston had needed for a long time.

Galveston had a real chance to improve post storm, but blew it.

The very liberal city government down there depends on a large block of uneducated, welfare dependent voters to stay in power. They have done everything possible to re-establish that voting block post storm. Unfortunately, they have been quite successful.

We once again see the drug infested creeps wandering the streets at all hours looking for someone to rob or something to steal in order to get their next fix.

We had our bicycles stolen off the front porch a few weeks ago. In the last month they have tried to break in our back gate at least twice.

I am back to staying armed or having a gun within reach during our visits. Last two trips I am spending half my time there making repairs and harding up our place.

We love Galveston, but hate the politics down there. We have come to accept the fact it will never live up to its potential.