A dramatic encounter captured on a Ring doorbell camera in Harris County, Texas, shows the courageous actions of a middle school teacher, David Garza, who intervened to save a 15-year-old girl from an alleged sexual assault. The incident occurred late on July 28, just five miles outside Houston.
Garza, who spotted the disturbing scene from his apartment window, described the moment he realized something was wrong. “I looked out the window, and I saw a man beating up a woman on the ground,” Garza told local station KHOU. “He was trying to take her clothes off.” Without hesitation, Garza grabbed his pistol and rushed outside to confront the attacker.
As Garza approached the scene, he heard the terrified girl scream for help: “The girl screamed, ‘I’m 15! Help me!’ So, I pointed my gun at [the suspect].” Garza’s quick intervention forced the suspect to immediately release the girl. “He took his hands off right away. He went chasing after her, I went chasing after him, and she got away,” Garza recounted, explaining how the girl was able to escape to a friend’s apartment unharmed.
Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Garza admitted, “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 added that he felt he “just did the right thing” in that moment. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported that the suspect had been on the same bus as the 15-year-old girl and had followed her to her apartment complex before attempting the assault.
Despite Garza’s efforts, the suspect managed to flee and remains at large. Authorities have released a surveillance photo of the man, who was last seen wearing a black Reebok hoodie, a black hat, blue jeans, and white sneakers. They are urging the public to help in locating him.
Neighbors who witnessed the incident were shaken by the experience. One woman, who observed the scene from her window, expressed her fear, saying, “At first, I was scared. I thought she was going to get raped.” She added, “I think if [Garza] didn’t come out, she would have gotten raped.” As the search for the suspect continues, the community is left grappling with the unsettling reality of the near tragedy that was averted by Garza’s bravery.
