A man responded to a stranger’s plea for help moving furniture on May 16 in Houston. However, he reportedly made the shocking discovery of a dead body in a box. When he tried to leave, the man who asked for his help gave chase.
Per a report by Click 2 Houston, the chain of events in northwest Harris County was complex and confusing. Luis Silva Mendez was a contractor working at the home of 36-year-old Steven Eberly. At some point, there was an altercation between the two men, and medical examiners reportedly say Mendez was stabbed multiple times. He died from his injuries.
Afterward, Eberly reportedly asked a stranger to help him move some furniture. The stranger agreed, although he quickly changed his mind when he spotted Mendez’s body in a box. The stranger panicked and allegedly tried to flee the scene in the contractor’s truck. Eberly gave chase and jumped into the back of the vehicle. The suspect reportedly broke glass on the truck, which was ultimately involved in a crash up the road.
The Murder May Have Been Fueled By Jealousy
Some confusion arose when law enforcement received multiple calls about incidents they did not know were connected. When detectives arrived at the home, they found a body outside, wrapped in a blanket. Police also got a call regarding a ‘failure to stop and render aid’ traffic incident. Around the same time, authorities received another call about a ‘suspicious’ person bleeding from his head.
Trying to decipher what happened, a detective from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said, “What we’re thinking is that there was a disturbance here where the body was being moved. At some point, they decided to leave, and one was injured during the process.”
The outlet also spoke with the homeowner. She reportedly said that her boyfriend was meant to be at home at the time with a contractor working on a “bathroom project.” In an updated report, Click 2 Houston explains that the homeowner and Eberly had been an item for five months. Eberly reportedly accused Mendez of having a romantic relationship with his partner. The District Attorney’s office allegedly said “jealousy was a motive in the stabbing.”
Authorities took Eberly to the hospital after he reportedly got hurt on the truck. He was arrested after a medical examination, and police are holding him with a $2.15 million bond. The suspect faces a murder charge, tampering with evidence and trying to take an officer’s weapon.