KEMAH — Kemah police continue investigating an incident that left a woman injured early Sunday morning outside VooDoo Hut, while new witness information and a dispute from the woman involved have added conflicting accounts of what occurred.
The incident happened at approximately 1:47 a.m. on June 14, according to Kemah Police Chief Raymond Garivey.
Police said the woman reported being injured during an encounter with a man she met through an online dating app. She suffered a cut to her forehead as well as additional cuts and bruises. The suspect left the scene before officers arrived.
Investigators later located a vehicle believed to be connected to the incident after it crashed in Seabrook. Police said the driver fled the crash scene on foot and that they are working to confirm the suspect’s identity.
The suspect has been described by police as a Black male driving a black Ford Mustang.
The woman was treated at the scene and declined transport to a hospital.
After publication of initial reporting, the woman contacted KGTX 7 News and disputed the characterization of the incident, stating she was not assaulted and that her injuries resulted from a fall.
However, an eyewitness who agreed to be identified, Caroline Vandever, told KGTX she was in the area when she heard commotion and observed a scene she described as an assault. Vandever said she saw a shoe in the area, then turned a corner into the parking lot where she witnessed the suspect punching the woman multiple times. She said she alerted a VooDoo Hut employee, who contacted police, and that the suspect fled the scene shortly after.
Kemah Police Chief Raymond Garivey told KGTX the case remains classified as an assault investigation.
KGTX 7 News will continue to seek additional information and clarification from law enforcement as the investigation develops.
Editor’s Note: KGTX 7 News reporting is based on statements from Kemah Police, an on-scene eyewitness who agreed to be identified, and follow-up communication with a woman involved in the incident, who disputes the assault allegation. The case remains under investigation.
