Investigators say the masked assailant forced the victim to withdraw cash before opening fire near Beltway 8 and I-10.
HOUSTON — A 70-year-old man was critically injured Monday night when a masked robber confronted him outside a Walmart in west Houston, forced him to withdraw cash from an ATM and then shot him, police said. The gunfire was reported around 11 p.m. in the store’s parking lot near the Sam Houston Tollway and the Katy Freeway.
Houston police said the attack unfolded as the man walked out of the Walmart on Westview Drive. A masked suspect approached him, demanded money and directed him to an on-site ATM, according to investigators at the scene. After the victim handed over cash, the robber shot him once in the chest, police said. The case is being handled by the Houston Police Department’s robbery division. As of Tuesday, detectives had announced no arrests, and officials emphasized that the victim remained hospitalized in critical condition. The shooting capped a late-night response that drew patrol units and crime scene investigators to two locations tied to the incident.
Police said the victim managed to get into his vehicle and drive away after the shot was fired. He was found about a mile east along the Interstate 10 feeder near Attingham Drive, where a passing wrecker driver spotted the wounded man in his car and called for help, a police lieutenant said. “The victim was able to get away,” Lt. J.P. Horelica said, adding that the tow truck driver discovered him unconscious. Officers and medics converged on the feeder road and took the man to a trauma center. Investigators returned to the Walmart lot to gather surveillance video and canvass for witnesses. Early accounts indicate the suspect wore a mask and may have had an accomplice, but detectives have not confirmed the exact number of assailants.
The robbery began in the 10750 block of Westview Drive, just west of Beltway 8, where police said the suspect forced the man to a USAA ATM positioned on the property. After the withdrawal, the suspect fired once and fled. Detectives did not release a detailed description beyond the mask and did not say whether the robber left on foot or in a vehicle. No weapon was recovered at the feeder-road scene where the victim was located. The store’s lot and the I-10 service road were processed for evidence overnight. Investigators said they were reviewing store and nearby traffic cameras and checking whether any license plate readers captured vehicles entering or leaving the area around 11 p.m. Monday.
The location sits in a busy commercial corridor near the Katy Freeway interchange that draws heavy evening traffic. While police did not immediately link this case to any other incidents, investigators said they are examining similar late-night robberies where victims were confronted in parking lots and directed to nearby ATMs. Records show west Houston has seen periodic spikes in parking lot robberies near major interchanges, though patterns often shift quickly depending on active crews and recent arrests. In this case, officials stressed that the masked suspect waited outside the store and targeted the victim as he exited, a detail detectives hope will be visible on the store’s exterior cameras.
As of Tuesday evening, no charges had been filed and the suspect remained at large. Detectives with HPD’s robbery division planned follow-up interviews with Walmart employees and potential witnesses and requested video from nearby businesses along Westview Drive and the feeder road. Police said they would release additional details if a suspect description is refined or if images are obtained from security cameras. If an arrest is made, the case would be forwarded to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for review of potential aggravated robbery and aggravated assault charges. Authorities did not announce a public briefing but said updates would be provided as investigators verify new information.
The store remained open Tuesday with a visible police presence earlier in the day as technicians checked camera angles, according to people in the shopping center. A few customers paused to talk about the late-night violence. “That could be anyone leaving the store,” said Brian Stansell, a USAA customer interviewed near the scene. A wrecker operator who assisted the victim told officers he came upon the car on the feeder lane and realized the driver was injured before calling 911, according to police. Neighbors said traffic along the service road slowed late Monday as emergency vehicles worked the scene near Attingham Drive.
Police said the investigation remains active and that the next major step is securing and reviewing video from the store and surrounding businesses. Detectives are also tracing the timeline of the victim’s movements in the minutes before the holdup. As of late Tuesday, the victim was still listed in critical condition at a Houston trauma center, and officials had not released his name. Further updates are expected as investigators finalize their preliminary report.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2025.