Robbery suspect stabs K-9, and police later find his father’s body, Texas police say

After a robbery suspect bonded out of jail, Texas police discovered the body of the suspect’s father in the home where both were staying.

Houston police received a call about an attempted carjacking on the morning of Jan. 22. Witnesses told police the man who tried to steal the car ran off and robbed a nearby store, according to a news release. Officers said they later found Ryan Smith, 26, inside a nearby parking garage attempting to flee the scene.

A Houston Police Department K-9, named Nate, caught up to Smith as he ran. Smith then stabbed the dog, but officers were able to take him into custody, the release said.

Nate has since undergone surgery and is home recovering with his partner, according to the release.

Smith was charged with evading arrest, interference with a police service animal and robbery bodily injury at that time, but he has been investigated further since, this time regarding his father, according to authorities.

He bonded out of jail and went to stay with his father on Jan. 23, Commander Kevin Deese of HPD’s Homicide Division said in a Jan. 25 media briefing.

Relatives became concerned after they didn’t hear from Smith’s father, eventually finding that the father had left his phone at the seemingly empty home where Smith was also staying, Deese said. The family found this uncharacteristic and called police on Monday, Jan. 24 asking them to check in on the man.

Officers came to the home to conduct a search later that morning. They didn’t immediately find anything suspicious in the house, but they spotted his truck driving with its lights off in the neighborhood, according to Deese.

After approaching the truck, detectives noticed Smith was in the pickup. He then drove off, and a pursuit began, Deese said. Officers were not able to catch up with Smith.

Investigators back at the home began a more thorough search and found his father dead in a “difficult” to reach part of the garage, from what Deese said was “not natural causes.”

With this latest development, Smith will be charged with evading arrest. Other charges may be brought depending on the results of his father’s autopsy, Deese said.

Police said Smith is still on the run as of midday Jan. 25 and that he had a gun in the truck with him.

“He’s considered to be dangerous, definitely,” Deese said.