A 22-year-old Texas man, Lansselo Martinez, has been apprehended by authorities in connection with the fatal beating of a 38-year-old man at a gas station. The incident occurred two weeks prior to Martinez’s arrest on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Ye Myint Aung, was allegedly assaulted by Martinez on the morning of May 23, with the latter reportedly striking Aung in the head over 20 times.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, through a Facebook post, revealed that the brutal attack was captured on surveillance cameras installed in and around the gas station’s attached store. The footage showed Aung staggering out of the building before collapsing. A friend discovered him unconscious twelve hours later and immediately dialed 911.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, Aung succumbed to his injuries two days later on May 25. The Harris County Coroner’s Office, after examining the case, declared Aung’s death a homicide, prompting further investigation by the authorities.
The detectives, after scrutinizing hours of surveillance footage, interviewed several witnesses who had seen the altercation between Aung and an unidentified man in a black shirt, later identified as Martinez. According to the documents reported by Houston ABC station KTRK, Martinez and an unnamed companion were seen arriving at the gas station and interacting with Aung.
The incident escalated when a beer bottle, previously placed on the hood of Martinez’s car, fell off as they attempted to leave. Martinez, believing that the bottle had been thrown at him, confronted other customers at the gas station before allegedly directing his rage towards Aung, leading to the fatal assault.
Martinez’s friend later admitted to the police that he had placed the bottle on the car hood himself. Aung’s friend, Lakisha Wilks, discovered Aung’s unconscious body at the gas station around 9:30 p.m., twelve hours after the incident. Despite her immediate call to 911, Aung could not be saved and was declared dead due to blunt force trauma on May 25.
Martinez is currently held at the Harris County Jail on a $500,000 bond, facing murder charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 29.