Houston resident Darrall Earl Houston, 43, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for a home burglary in which he was shot by the homeowner. He was released from the hospital before police arrested him, and was on the run for eight months before his arrest in Harris County for evading arrest in a motor vehicle.
According to Assistant District Attorney Bob Yack, on May 20, 2008 around 11 p.m., Quenton Durisseau was in his home when he heard someone attempting to kick in his back door. When his door was kicked open, he was confronted with two men with guns wearing ski masks. Having retrieved his own gun, Durisseau fired twice – hitting Houston in the chest once before his gun jammed.
Houston and the other suspect then fled on foot. The defendant ran across the street to a neighborhood park where he threw his gun, ski mask and gloves down a storm drain. He continued only another 30 feet before he collapsed from his injury. Houston’s gun, ski mask and gloves were recovered from the storm drain by police with the help of two witnesses who saw him in the park.
The defendant was life-flighted to an area hospital, but when detectives tried to arrest him several days later he had already been discharged from the hospital. Houston was eventually arrested eight months later in Harris County for evading arrest with a motor vehicle.
Houston testified during the trial that he was the victim. He testified he was at the house to purchase drugs and had stepped out into Durisseau’s backyard when he was shot and robbed of $4,000 by an unknown person. He further admitted to previously being convicted of two aggravated robberies in 1987, injury to a child in 1994 and evading arrest with a vehicle in 2009.
“The jury didn’t believe the defendant’s story and felt he was a continuing threat to society based on his past convictions,” said Yack. “He earned every minute of those 50 years – the victim’s son was asleep in his bedroom at the time. And there were toys by the back door, so it was obvious there were kids in the house.”
Houston was tried in the 400th District Court before Presiding Judge Clifford J. Vacek. Burglary of a Habitation in this case is a first degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Houston was prosecuted as a “habitual offender” due to his numerous felony convictions, which raises the minimum prison sentence to 25 years. He won’t be eligible for parole until he is 67 years old. The second suspect remains unidentified.
Assistant District Attorneys Bob Yack and Chris DeLozier prosecuted the case. Attorney J. Sidney Crowley represented the defendant.
Those combined primaries created very long lines today. I saw many leaving without voting. To top it off some polling stations had been moved not long ago adding to the confusion. If they want to suppress the vote, that is the way to do it. I’m glad I voted early.
I read a story last week about how the current DA accepts gifts and contributions from opposing attorneys law firms to fund his campaigns and engages in plea bargains with those same firms. It certainly gives off the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Wow what incompentance. The criminal is shot by the homeowner get’s life-flighted and then is DISCHARGED from the hospital. Why was he not on lockdown? Why did it take another 8 months to catch him? This crime occurred in May 2008 close to two years ago and now the criminal is finally being sent to jail. Maybe it is time for new leadership in the DA Office after all.