At about 150 am on October 11, 2013 Doug Donnenfield was sitting in his vehicle at the 24 Hour Fitness Center at Six Pines and Lake Woodlands in The Woodlands. He was waiting for a news talk show to end so he could go in and work out. A red car pulled in next to him and within moments two gun muzzles were in his face as a Black male punched him in the neck. The two suspects reached across him and took his cell phone and billfold. They then began screaming at him, saying, “where’s the money”. Both then jumped in the red car and fled the scene.
Donnenfield looked hard at the license number then yelled for help from two men leaving the club. He borrowed a cell phone and dialed 911.
Montgomery County Dispatchers immediately broadcast the license number on what was thought to be a red Chevrolet. A unit on Interstate 45 who had been watching traffic spotted the vehicle and followed it. When the vehicle crossed FM 2920 it started to speed up and a pursuit was initiated. Montgomery County Deputies chased the vehicle at speeds of up to 115mph south on I-45 to Loop 610. They then traveled east on 610 to Interstate 10 where the suspects turned westbound and continued to US 59. They then went south on 59 to the Gulf Freeway and started south to Scott Street. It was there that the Houston Police Helicopter who had just joined the chase spotted them throw a gun out on the freeway.
The vehicle exited Scott and ran to McGowan where it crashed out and the suspects fled on foot. Both were taken into custody within fifteen minutes. A third suspect was also arrested after it was determined he was the driver of the car and the two other suspects. A Houston Police Sergeant then returned to the Gulf Freeway where he found the gun with a round still in the chamber.
Donnenfield had already had a near-death experience over twelve years ago when he suffered a massive heart attack as he jumped into a pool. He was recovered from the pool and transported to the hospital after Paramedics revived him from total cardiac arrest. After the incident this morning his wife has banned him from using the gym at night but has since allowed him time to workout prior to 9 p.m.
The vehicle, a Chevrolet Veio, which was driven by the suspects was also reported stolen in a robbery in Houston
Tavaris Don Dre Coleman, 21 of 10010 Cullen Blvd. faced the jury this week. It only took fifteen minutes to return the guilty verdict. One of the quickest in Montgomery County.
The punishment phase began Thursday morning and lasted all day as Prosecutor Rob Freyer put on at least ten Houston Police Officers, both patrol and detectives to paint the history of the career criminal. They testified that he was charged with a robbery in 2012 in which he jumped the counter of a Chinese Restaurant near the Astrodome and robbed them of an unknown amount of money. For his part in that he was given a mere eight months in State Jail. However since he had been held in the Harris County Jail awaiting trial he was released days later as his back time was credited to him.
His juvenile history was also brought out as Coleman took the stand. Not once did he show remorse, he just denied everything that was presented including cases that he had already pled guilty on years ago.
His mother took the stand and told how he had no father figure growing up but in 2011 moved to Montgomery County and attended Oak Ridge High School playing football. But once again he was in trouble fighting and skipping school. He was sent to Juvenile Detention where he punched someone in the face and was detained an additional thirty days.
He then attended Conroe High School and lived with his father.
Soon he returned to Houston to be with his mother and started hanging out with known gang members.
It was after Judge sentenced him to the 45 years that he apologized for the robberies against his victims.
Doug Donnenfield of the Woodland who was robbed by the trio gave his victim impact statement. He told Coleman that he felt sorry for him, not being able to have children or grand children because he would be too old. He continued of how he is glad Coleman was driving the night of the robbery as if he had been the one with the gun he may have pulled the trigger killing Donnenfield.
Coleman still faces three aggravated robbery charges and an evading arrest in Harris County.
Coleman had an extensive past, not including his Juvenile history..
On January 24, 2011, he was arrested by Houston Police for unlawfully carrying a weapon and was sentenced to 300 days in the Harris County Jail on March 28, 2012.
On July 15, 2011, he was charged with assault causing bodily injury but was not arrested for it until June 24, 2012. He was then sentenced to 30 days for that charge in March of this year.
On March 28, 2012 he was arrested again for unlawfully carrying a weapon. On March 13, 2013 he was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity.
On March 25, 2011, he was arrested for false report to a police officer by Conroe, when he lived at 701 Foster in Conroe.
Edward Brightmon, 19, of 5638 Selinsky in Houston has been charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest. This is not his first brush with the law. On April 26, 2012 he was convicted in Harris County on an assault bodily injury charge. Brightmon was sentenced last month to 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He is also awaiting trial on three additional robbery cases in Harris County.
Fredrick Dewayne Robinson, 19, of 3005 Sparrow in Houston is also charged with evading arrest and aggravated robbery. He was arrested on February 6, 2012 for possession of marijuana in Harris County and sentenced to 20 days 4 days later. He was also arrested for criminal trespass at the same time.. He remains in the Montgomery County Jail awaiting his October trial. He is also being held on three additional aggravated robberies and an evading arrest charge in Harris County.
Comments are closed.