BELLAIRE, Texas — A man accused of chasing women in Bellaire for three days is now in custody.
On Thursday, police got a call a little after 8 a.m. about a man chasing a woman on Grand Lake near South Rice. While they were responding, they said they got another call about a man trying to abduct a woman on Evergreen near Ferris Drive, which is about three-tenths of a mile away.
Police said a witness called 911 and gave them a description of the man and the car he was driving.
Shortly after that, Bellaire police arrested Amar Barkouda, 29, during a traffic stop at a construction site at the intersection of Chimney Rock and Evergreen. He's charged with attempted kidnapping.
"We dispatched officers into the area and were able to locate the suspect not too far away from where we received the calls," Bellaire Police Chief Onesimo Lopez said. "The construction likely slowed him down which is why one of the reasons we were able to catch him."
Police said Barkouda, who was out on bond on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, nearly abducted six different young women over the last three days.
One incident happened Tuesday along Jessamine and Ferris that Houston police were investigating and another on Chestnut near South Rice that Bellaire police were looking into.
"He would follow them, stop the car, get out and approach and try to engage them just in conversation and in a couple of cases the women were able to get away from him, in one case he got very close to one of the victims," Lopez said.
Barkouda was already due back in court for a mental competency hearing in the aggravated robbery case, in which he's accused of holding two people hostage with a screwdriver at the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge Center last summer.
"I'm very happy that somebody like that was arrested," Theresa Bosley said. "It's terrifying knowing that he was right here last night."
She lives in Bellaire and said enough is enough.
"It's a revolving door here in Houston and this is something that needs to be addressed seriously," Bosley said.
Lopez agreed.
"We know this individual is dangerous and really needs to be off the streets," Lopez said.
Police are asking anyone who has had anything similar happen to them or if they recognize Barkouda to call Bellaire police at 713-668-0487 or Houston police at 713-884-3131.