“Boosie” Busted for Burglary Beat Down
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – A Palestine man was booked into the Houston County Jail over the weekend and charged with two felonies stemming from an incident during May of 2016.
Todd Willis, aka “Boosie,” 20, was taken into custody on Saturday, April 29 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary of a habitation.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, officers with the Grapeland Police Department were dispatched to a residence at 311 Pine St. on May 14, 2016 in reference to a burglary as well as an aggravated assault.
The probable cause document reported there were five individuals at the location who were unharmed and one who had been assaulted.
As they were questioned about what had transpired, the affidavit indicated all provided similar statements.
“At an approximate time between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., (the victim) drove his vehicle to his home at the listed address. He rapidly parked the vehicle and exited, running through the back door,” the affidavit stated.
A few moments later, the affidavit reported a second vehicle occupied by two males and one female arrived at the same address.
The two male suspects “… exited the vehicle carrying handguns and forcibly entered the back entrance of the home by kicking the door in. The suspects entered the home, pointed their weapons at the (five uninjured victims) and shouted ‘Where’s the money?’ (An uninjured victim) told the suspects she had no idea what they were talking about,” the affidavit stated.
The suspects then began to search the residence where they found the male subject who had run inside the house.
“The suspects began assaulting (the victim), beating him about the face, head and body. According to (the victim) one of the suspects pointed their firearm at him and pulled the trigger,” the legal document stated.
The victim informed the law enforcement officials “… he heard the weapon fail to fire and the suspect rack another round, as the round that was in the chamber ejected and landed on his back.”
The gunman pulled the trigger a second time, but the weapon failed again. As a result of the two misfires, the affidavit indicated the suspect began beating the victim with the pistol.
“After the suspects had beaten (the victim), they ran out of the home, entered their vehicle and fled the scene,” the affidavit reported.
The injured victim and one of the uninjured victims later identified Todd B. Willis, aka “Boosie” as one of the suspects involved in the crimes.
Willis had been held in another county on an unrelated crime and when he was released, he was turned over to the custody of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as burglary of a habitation.
Both crimes are considered second degree felonies.
According to Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”
Willis is held at the Houston County Jail on bonds totaling $50,000.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
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