Rabbi reported missing was in county jail at the time
A rabbi for a Houston synagogue has been charged with unlawful restraint after a woman accused him of grabbing her as she walked near the Galleria, according to court records.
Police arrested Ranon Teller, 53, on the misdemeanor charge around 11 p.m. Sunday, nearly 24 hours before Hatzalah of Houston — a volunteer-run EMS group — announced that the rabbi had been missing for about a day. During that time, Teller had been in the Harris County Jail.
Hatzalah, of Houston, called off the search around 10 p.m. Monday. Teller was released from the jail on bond around 2 a.m. Tuesday, Harris County Sheriff ’s Office officials said.
Teller listed Congregation Brith Shalom at 4610 Bellaire as his employer in bail paperwork. A woman who answered the phone at the synagogue said, “We have no comment at this time.”
A lawyer for Teller did not respond to requests for comment.
According to court records, the woman behind the accusation said a man grabbed her from behind and picked her up in the 5400 block of Westheimer. She broke free and ran into the road. He followed her and she took a photo of him. She flagged down a driver and asked them to call police. Arabic was her predominant language but she spoke some English.
“Please help, call police,” the woman cried, adding later that she was in fear of her life.
The woman showed police a photo of the man and pointed to him on the street, investigators said. The man had headphones on and did not acknowledge police as he walked by, according to records. He declined to identify himself to police but acknowledged some questions through head nods, according to court records. The officers were unable to identify him at the scene or booked him into the jail without a name. He was later identified.
Teller, who lacks prior arrests in Harris County, is slated next Monday to return to court.