An argument over a parking spot outside a Food Town grocery store in Houston turned tragic, leaving an 80-year-old military veteran, Earl Hollins, dead. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Hollins was attacked during the altercation, and the suspect, 57-year-old Anthony Ray Boyce, allegedly drove off in Hollins’ car after the incident.
The heartbreaking events unfolded last Friday when the two men clashed in the parking lot. Hollins, who suffered a severe head injury during the attack, fell into a coma and wasn’t expected to recover. His family shared their pain and disbelief with local media, describing him as a kind and beloved person. On December 7, Hollins was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” said Hollins’ niece, Elma Hollins-Washington. “Over a parking spot? It’s unbelievable. My uncle was such a good man, and now he’s gone. It’s something we’ll never get over.”
The HCSO is still investigating the relationship between the two men, as there are suggestions they may have known each other. “Someone mentioned they might have crossed paths before because they were often around that same Food Town,” Hollins-Washington added.
Currently, Boyce is being held in the Harris County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He’s facing charges of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. However, detectives plan to meet with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to discuss whether the charges should be upgraded now that Hollins has passed away.
For Hollins’ family, the loss feels immeasurable. “You took something great from us, something that can never be replaced,” Hollins-Washington said, her voice filled with grief.
This devastating incident has left the community shaken, raising questions about how such violence could erupt over something as simple as a parking space.
