Crime Victims Step Forward to Help Raise More Than $1 Million to Help Fight Houston’s Repeat Offenders Epidemic

For many in the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom, it was shocking to learn that all three of the chairs of the Crime Stoppers gala had been victims of dangerous crimes. Their experiences and the rash of increased crimes in Houston committed by individuals out on multiple felony bonds, the women agreed, inspired their determination to raise a record $1,035,000.

Clearly, Amy Leibman, Genny McIntyre and Sheridan Williams, who led the charge, are ladies not to be messed with.

Likewise, the fireside chat with three survivors of murder victims further encouraged a dramatic, non-political lifting of paddles during the raise. Leading the effort were the men behind the impressive women — Neil Leibman, John McIntyre and John Eddie Williams — the latter having suffered a near-death experience when he was shot in the stomach during the Rolex robberies of the 1980s.

“What happened leading up to and during our recent gala is an example of a community fed up with crime and in typical Houston fashion — literally doing something about it,” Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious says. “Crime Stoppers has been standing up and showing up since its inception 41 years ago. There were moments when we did so quietly and moments when we were anything but. Current times require the latter.”

The “Leading the Way to a Safer Houston” annual gala was a milestone in terms of attendance and funds raised, more than doubling the previous gala proceeds.

Crime Stoppers director of victim services Andy Kahan joined Mankarious on stage in a stunning question and answer with three survivors, each of whose family member was murdered by a defendant out on multiple felony bonds.

“I feel compelled to do this because I feel someone needs to speak out. . .  I was shocked to find out about this issue with repeat violent offenders getting out on bond. I was so shocked to find out that this is a partisan issue. Public safety is not a partisan issue,” says Theresa Seck, whose brother was randomly targeted, assaulted and shot to death.

“Please come together to do something meaningful,” she continues, “to combat this crime spree, murders, and violent crimes  . . . My brother wasn’t out at night. He wasn’t in an abandoned building or in an overgrown field. He was murdered right where he was supposed to be (on the grounds of his Galleria apartment).”

The murder defendant was free on seven felony bonds in Harris and Fort Bend counties and he was missing his ankle monitor.

Joining Seck on stage was Paul Castro — father of David Castro, the teen who was murdered leaving a Houston Astros game — and Chuck Cook, whose 80-year-old mother was stabbed to death by a habitual offender with 60 convictions who was free on two felony personal recognizance bonds.

When the chairmen launched the Paddles Up campaign, the response was remarkable with Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick committing $10,000 as did Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a Democrat. Eliminating the political taint on bond reform was one of the primary goals of the evening.

As Sheridan Willams said in her compelling remarks to the gathering, “It’s time to come together to make Houston a safer place to live. This issue is not political. It’s about public safety.”

The evening honored retired TV news anchor Dave Ward, whose consistent support of Crime Stoppers on the air put the nonprofit at the forefront of fighting crime and helping solve them. In honor of his prestigious standing in the crime-fighting community and beyond, Ward was escorted to the stage by an honor guard of Harris County Sheriff’s Officers. Tributes came from former President George W. Bush, the late Barbara Bush (a tribute taped in 2015) and in a video marking his career supporting Crime Stoppers.

PC Seen: Top tier Paddles Up donors Elizabeth and Gary Petersen, Jill and Charles Talisman, Hallie Vanderhider, Johnny Carrabba, and Brigitte and Bashar Kalai; plus Laura Ward, Kendall Miller, Laura and Dr. Mike Sweeney, Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, Jordan and Dylan Seff, Don Faust, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.