1 block, 1 month and 2 killings

A man was fatally shot Thursday morning near a restaurant and nightclub in southwest Houston, marking the second such homicide in a month in a block some say is plagued by prostitution and other crime.

The most recent shooting happened shortly after 1 a.m. at 9817 Bissonnet, near D’Place Restaurant, Bar & Grill. The victim, whose name was not released, died at Ben Taub General Hospital, police said.

“Right now, all we got is that it’s a shooting that occurred,” said homicide detective Gordon Sullivan, who was surveying the scene with his partner Thursday afternoon.

“We don’t really have any witnesses right now. We’re still in the process of collecting evidence, analyzing it and seeing where it goes.”

This is the second fatal shooting to take place in that block of Bissonnet in the last month.

On Jan. 22, a 24-yearold man was found dead around 1:30 a.m. at 9800 Bissonnet. Three people were arrested Feb. 3 and charged with capital murder in that case.

HPD spokesperson Kese Smith said nothing indicates a tie between the two homicides.

Sullivan said the strip center is a high-crime area for narcotics, violence and prostitution. Business owners said they worry about the recent crimes.

“You know how Houston is, but it doesn’t happen a lot here,” said Lloyd Obi, owner of a nearby business, Mex African Foods.

A 56-year-old man who works in the strip center said he found out about Thursday’s homicide when police questioned him that morning.

“They chortled when I asked if it was a drug dealer,” he said. “You can (often) smell the skunk stuff.”

He said a few cars are often left in the club’s parking lot in the morning, despite signs warning against loitering. The usual cars were not out there, he said.

Julio Serpas, co-owner of Thunder Auto Sound, said he often sees prostitutes walking the streets during the day.

“It affects business, because there’s a lot of businesses all around where families come and sometimes they bring their kids, and it isn’t proper for them to see that,” Serpas said.

Occasionally, a sting will clear the streets of prostitutes, he added.

“All that happens is they stop and pick them up, but the next day they are back,” Serpas said.

Smith said the stings are complaint-driven and the issue is constantly worked on.

“We’re constantly doing proactive vice investigations,” Smith said. “I can’t speak to if there is a long-term (plan). We may address (prostitution) in the neighborhood and individuals may move, and then we address it and they move.”

While Serpas doesn’t feel that crime is prevalent during the day, one area worker said he takes precaution, including varying the times he comes in and out of work.

“You have to be safe,” he said.