Police in Houston are on the hunt for a 52-year-old man who they believe chased down and fatally hacked his neighbor at least 25 times with a machete.
Alvaro Lovos, 52, is suspected in the attack of his neighbor, 67-year-old Charlie Wilson, outside a convenience store in Houston. According to a police report, Wilson was hacked or stabbed 25 times, including 15 times after he was already lying motionless on the ground.
When police arrived at the scene of the stabbing on November 19, they found Wilson on the ground, suffering from numerous wounds. Wilson was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene from "multiple sharp force injuries with chop wounds of the head and neck," according to an autopsy report reviewed by The State.
The machete used in the attack, which was reportedly covered in bloodstains, was discovered at the scene.
Witnesses, including a clerk at the nearby convenience store, identified Lovos as a regular customer who lived in an apartment in a building attached to the store, according to Click2Houston.
Police reviewed surveillance footage and identified Lovos as a potential suspect. They found and spoke to Lovos, who told them he saw two men walking away from Wilson's body.
According to ABC7, Wilson's family members who spoke to the broadcaster said Lovos hung around after the murder and spoke to them and to police while he was covered in blood.
He reportedly told Wilson's family that he tried to help him, explaining why he was covered in blood. Police did not arrest Lovos at that time, but later charged him with murder after they allegedly confirmed that he was the one behind the attack.
A motive for the murder has not been determined.
Wilson's brother, Willie Ray, told KTRK that he was confident the police would catch his brother's alleged killer.
“They’re gonna get him. He can run, but he can’t hide,” he said. “They’ll soon catch up with him. He ain’t gonna get away.”
Despite his confidence that the police will find him, he's still uneasy about the fact that Lovos is at large.
"I'm kinda nervous of him," Willie Ray told ABC7. "He might try to double back and do me."
At this time, Lovos is still at large. Police have asked that anyone with information about Lovos' location contact Houston authorities at 713-308-3600.
