A 40-year-0ld Texas man stands charged with the stabbing death of a 77-year-old grandfather as he rode his bicycle to work earlier this month.
Houston Police reported that Aaron Bartholomew Sheehan was taken into custody at the Harris County Jail on Tuesday, facing murder charges for the death of Anival Patricio Elvir Ortiz on August 7, as KHOU reported.
At approximately 5:45 a.m. that day, Ortiz was heading to work, cycling on a trail along Harrisburg Boulevard. Surveillance footage captured the suspect emerging from behind a fence and stabbing Ortiz in the back. Ortiz continued to ride for about 10 minutes, reaching his workplace. Upon arrival, he informed his coworkers that someone had hit him while riding; then he collapsed. He was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he was declared deceased.
“He might not have realized his injuries were so severe, and he just kept riding his bike,” Houston Police Sgt. Mark Holbrook said.
Detectives traced a blood trail back to the presumed location of the attack and subsequently identified surveillance footage. Shortly after the stabbing, the suspect was seen at a mass transit station, prompting police to release images seeking public assistance in identifying him.
Five days later, Sheehan was in custody.
Sheehan was not in court on Wednesday when a judge set his bond at $1 million because he was undergoing a mental health evaluation.
