HOUSTON, TEXAS — In a disturbing incident in Houston’s Museum District earlier this month, an individual who attempted to act as a peacemaker ended up being a crime victim. The alleged perpetrator has been arrested and subsequently released on bail, according to legal documents.
Kohath Ben-Israel witnessed a motorist obstructing a one-way street, leading to a significant traffic backlog during the afternoon rush. He decided to document the situation, not imagining he would be threatened with a firearm as a result.
Ben-Israel recounts being in a doctor’s appointment waiting area on Binz Street when he heard the commotion outside. As he saw a long queue of cars, he took out his phone to record the scene.
“I heard the honking, and someone said, ‘This guy’s blocking the street, this one-way street.’ I couldn’t see anything, so I went outside and low and behold, this guy in a white truck was blocking the one-way street,” Ben-Israel said.
The situation escalated when Ben-Israel continued filming as the man exited his vehicle. “He gets out of the car, and I’m still filming, and he comes around and he pulls the gun to my face,” the victim revealed.
The alleged offender, identified as Lequinn Monteze, was recorded on Ben-Israel’s phone stepping out of his car wielding a firearm. The terrifying encounter included Monteze knocking the phone out of Ben-Israel’s hand.
“This could be it. This guy’s going to kill me,” Ben-Israel confessed, expressing gratitude that the man did not fire his weapon.
Charges have been filed against Monteze for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony. Court documents reveal an ongoing case in Connecticut that forbids him from owning a firearm. He is currently out on bail, awaiting his future court hearing.
