Anthony Ray Boyce, 57, has been accused of murder in connection with the death of Earl Hollins. According to a report, the incident took place last Friday at a Food Town grocery store parking lot in Houston. Hollins was in the process of parking when Boyce, who was also trying to park, engaged in a dispute with him.
A Texas man is behind bars after he allegedly killed an 80-year-old veteran during a fight over a parking spot.
During the altercation, Boyce allegedly struck Hollins in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement. Hollins was taken to the hospital but unfortunately passed away over the weekend. Boyce initially fled the scene in a maroon Ford F-150 but was later apprehended and initially charged with aggravated assault. The charge was upgraded to murder following Hollins’ death.
Initially, authorities suspected a robbery had taken place, but further investigation revealed details about the altercation. It has been suggested that the two individuals may have been familiar with each other as they were both frequent visitors to the grocery store. The investigation is ongoing as detectives work to uncover more details about the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
Hollins’ death has stunned his family, especially since it was over something as trivial as a parking spot.
“I said, ‘My god, over a parking spot. You’re going to injure my uncle, and now, finally, he’s dead, and it was over a parking spot,”” his niece Elma Hollins-Washington told local ABC affiliate KTRK.
The death hit the family especially hard since it’s the holiday season.
“What he [did], it wasn’t right,” Hollins-Washington told the TV station. “It wasn’t human.”
Family said Hollins was in good shape for his age and enjoyed cooking.
“He was one of a kind. I mean, to know him, you have to love him. He was an easygoing person, and he was friendly,” Hollins-Washington said.
Boyce is at the Harris County Jail on a $200,000 bond, though the bond may increase with the murder charge. He does not have an attorney listed. Documents say he is retired. NBC affiliate KPRC reports that he was previously a substitute teacher at Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.
