Horrific details emerge in dragging death of man, 64

Court records show the suspect returned to convenience store later to purchase beer

A Houston man returned to a convenience store to purchase beer minutes after fatally dragging a pedestrian with his car out of the parking lot, according to Harris County court records.

Jesus Barron, 30, was accused of intentionally hitting 64-yearold Richard Clark with his car Feb. 24 at a gas station at 575 Aldine Mail. Authorities said Barron dragged Clark for more than a quarter-mile while the man was trapped under the car. Clark was pronounced dead six days later at a hospital.

After his arrest, Barron told deputies, “He got in my way or he may have been asleep under my car. He sleeps under cars,” according to court records.

Barron was first charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His charge last week was upgraded to murder. A bond had not been set on the new charge by Tuesday night, and Barron remains in Harris County Jail. He also faces two unrelated charges of driving while intoxicated and failure to stop and render aid.

Barron’s hired defense attorney, Robert Wolfe, told the Chronicle he conducted his own preliminary investigation into the case. He said witnesses told him that Clark “was on drugs and that he was grabbing onto several of the cars at the Shell service station” before the crash.

“So he was putting himself in a lot of danger doing that, and also he was threatening, as I understand, the clerk at the Shell station,” Wolfe said. “But as far my client’s involvement, I can’t make any statements.”

The Harris County Sheriff ’s Of

fice incident report, filed Saturday, details the encounter between Barron and Clark.

Deputies had been dispatched to the store around 10 p.m. because a man, later identified as Clark, was reportedly harassing customers and refusing to leave.

When deputies arrived, a store clerk said Clark had been hit by a vehicle in the parking lot.

Surveillance video captured Clark standing in front of Barron’s silver Ford Taurus, which was parked at a gas pump. The video showed Clark standing about 2 feet away from the vehicle, raising his hands and “making gestures” toward Barron. Barron reversed the car while Clark held onto the hood. Barron then accelerated, forcing Clark under the vehicle, before exiting the parking lot onto Lillja Road, the video shows.

Clark was apparently still under the car, according to the incident report.

Immediately after the crash, a witness reported seeing Clark and Barron from a distance at an unspecified location. The witness said Clark was sitting next to Barron’s vehicle while Barron yelled at him. Later, a deputy located Clark in the driveway of a home in the 14100 block of Burtcliff — more than 350 yards away from the crash scene — with a severe head injury.

According to the surveillance footage, Barron returned to the store seven minutes after the collision in the same vehicle. He was not wearing a shirt at the time, so he put on a tan jacket before entering the store. Witnesses said Barron selected a beer from the cooler and asked the clerk, “Did they run somebody over here?”

Barron denied that he was the person who hit the man. He left and was arrested the following day.

Barron’s next court date is 9 a.m. Wednesday in the 183rd District Court.