Inside Today: Man shot by police at local shopping center • Page 2B
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It’s not just my business, It’s my neighborhood
Man sought in connection to three shootings near area By Landan Kuhlmann
landan@theleadernews. com
Investigators have released new security video of a man sought in connection to three shootings late last month that left two men and a woman injured, two of which happened in the area, according to the Houston Police Department. Tacner Baz, 34, Jennifer Espeseth, 49, and Wilmer Paguada, 53, all suffered minor injuries as a result of the incidents, according to
police. The man is described as in his late 20s or early 30s, with slim build according to HPD. He was wearing eyeglasses and a beanie, police said, and spoke broken Spanish. His identity is unknown, according to the department. Baz at about 2 a.m. June 25 pulled up to a stoplight around Bellfort Street and Telephone Road in south Houston, police said, when a man came up and demanded to get into Baz’s car and shot into the car. He shot at Baz multiple times as Baz
ran away, police said, before taking the car and driving away. The unknown man just before 2:30 a.m. left Baz’s car at a gas station at 801 N. Loop W., police said, before allegedly walking to the Whataburger at 905 N. Loop W. He allegedly demanded money from Esepeseth while she sat in the drive through line, then allegedly tried to open her car door before shooting into the car and hitting her in the hand before Espeseth sped off. The man at 2:45 a.m.
then returned to the gas station, police allege, where he walked up to Paguada and another man and demanded their keys at gunpoint before driving away in their car. He allegedly shot at the men as they ran away, according to police, hitting Paguada in the leg. The car was found a short time later, according to HPD. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call HPD’s Homicide division at 713-308-8800 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-2228477.
INSIDE.
Photo courtesy of HPD Police are searching for the man pictured above in connection to three recent shootings, including two in the Leader’s area.
McElvysells Leader to new owner For The Leader
A high note White Oak Music Hall will soon play host to the Sad Summer Music Festival.
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Sunny disposition Garden Guru Amy Williams has some tips to keep those sunflowers blooming.
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Photo by Wayne Donnelly St. Pius X pitcher/infielder Casan Evans winds up during a 2022 game against rival St. Thomas. Evans has been ranked as one of the top recruits in the Class of 2024 following a standout sophomore campaign.
SPX’s Evans quickly rising as burgeoning baseball star Man arrested Police have arrested and charged a man in connection to a local shooting.
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THE INDEX. Church........................................................... 4 Classifieds ................................................. 7 Coupons ...................................................... 7 Food/Drink ................................................ 6 Opinion ........................................................ 3 Public Information......................... 10 Puzzles ......................................................... 3
Baseball has always been a culture of sorts in the Evans household. St. Pius X High School pitcher Casan Evans’ dad Mike – who is also the Panthers’ baseball coach – is a former 22ndround pick by the Kansas City Royals. And so far in his own baseball career, that culture has allowed the younger Evans to quickly make a name for himself on the prep baseball circuit with a combination of lessons learned and inherent natural ability. “When I was born, it was just sort of there,” Casan Evans said. And if he continues to have the success he had this season, there’s no reason to believe the soon-to-be junior won’t be well known himself very soon. Evans was a key part of the Panthers’ playoff run this past season, which saw SPX finish 16-12-1 and reach the TAPPS regional round before falling to San Antonio Central Catholic. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Evans threw more than 60 percent of his pitches for strikes this past season according to a report from KHOU, and his fastball has already touched 95 miles per hour according to publicly-available scouting reports. As of early June, he was ranked as the 10th-best recruit in his class nationally and the second-best pitching recruit in the Class of 2024 by Prep Baseball Report. It was quite a step forward for Evans, who admitted he stayed more in the background his freshman year, when he was the youngest player on the team. But come his sophomore campaign, he said he came to develop a trust in his teammates that
McElvy Partners LLC has sold its media and marketing company with operations in Houston, Dallas and Charlotte to Street Media. The company’s divisions include community newspapers, shoppers, digital services, commercial printing, and events. Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented McElvy Partners in the transaction. Terms were not disclosed. “We are very excited to welcome The Greensheet, The Leader, the Fort Bend Star, The Weekly in Charlotte, Texas Printers and Core Digital Brands to the Street Media family,” said Brian Calle, Street Media’s CEO. “It will be a privilege to join forces with these important community institutions and find new pathways for building sustainable media outlets, working with the incredible team running the organization.” The acquired operations include The Greensheet, a free shopper distributed across Houston and Dallas; community newspapers in The Leader and the Fort Bend Star; and The Weekly, a group of community weeklies serving upscale neighborhoods south of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Texas group also publishes the monthly Fort Bend Business Journal magazine.
played a significant role in his development – one which enabled him to show he belonged in the conversation of elite players. “I believed in my team, and knew I didn’t have to do everything in my willpower to strike somebody out,” he said. “It was a lot easier to trust them than trying to do everything myself.” His dad echoed the sentiment, adding that Casan also matured in the emotional department as well as the conditioning aspect – where the younger Evans said he is now in the weight room 4-5 times per week – and the in-game adjustments. Casan is also a third baseman and shortstop for the Panthers, and Mike Evans said he has worked to instill a mentality of perseverance in all three of his sons. That mentality, he said, is based on “following the process” and staying focused on the positive outcomes while adapting to the many struggles that can accompany the sport. It’s one that can come in handy, he said, in a game where even the best hitters fail seven times out of 10 and the best pitchers surrender a run every few innings. “(Casan is) understanding that mistakes happen and the game does not forgive excuses, but will honor hard work,” his father said. “…Baseball is the worst sport to play if you want to feel good about yourself. Learn to live with loss, and learn from it.” That work ethic, the younger Evans said, comes not just from his dad and his coaches, but from watching several MLB stars. He said he takes inspiration from the likes of Los Angeles AnSee EVANS P. 4
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Local business Oak Forest resident set to release second children’s book is our business. By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews. com
Send us your story of interest news@theleadernews.com Allison
As a teacher for more than a decade, Oak Forest resident Sarah Allison has always sought to help kids write and share their own unique stories. She is doing just that with
an upcoming children’s picture book release that she says will share the uniqueness of both her own family and several other local families in an attempt to inspire the younger generation to embrace their individuality. This past March, Allison released her first children’s book, called “Audrey-Saurus.” And next Tuesday, she will
McElvy
release a second one entitled “Each of Us” from her own publishing company called B + A Stories, which is named after her two children Brynnlee and Audrey. “Oftentimes, young kids are trying to connect over the things they have in common and are the same about them,” she said. “And while those are good, it’s important to really
understand where they come from…and what makes them unique.” “Each of Us,” Allison said, is a story about friendship, family, and culture. She said the book is a celebration of what makes each character unique and the ways they share their language, recipes, and tradiSee BOOK. 4
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