Two men accused of beating a man they claimed was a habitual thief near Luell Street in north Houston have been arrested, police said

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Two men were arrested and charged after being accused of beating a man they claimed was stealing again, police said.

Rodolfo Ramirez, 46, and Joel Ramirez, 43, were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an attack on a 42-year-old homeless man Wednesday morning.

The suspects saw the man standing next to a vehicle in front of their home on Luell Street in North Houston just after 4 a.m. and claimed he was responsible for a string of vehicle thefts, according to court documents.

Police said one of the men began beating the victim with a metal stick while the other pistol-whipped him.

“Every time they hit him, he was screaming and speaking Spanish,” said Willie Gaines, who witnessed part of the attack.

A Spanish-speaking witness told Eyewitness News that the victim pleaded with his attackers and quoted him as saying, “I won’t do this again. I promise.”

“As far as I’m concerned, he got what he wanted,” Gaines said.

Police told Eyewitness News they have not received any reports of vehicle theft at the suspects’ home in the past six months, and the victim has never been charged with a crime.

However, neighbors speaking off-camera to Eyewitness News tell them they sympathize with the suspects.

“You don’t steal from people. If you borrow something from people, you bring it back. You don’t take it away,” Gaines said.

Eyewitness News was unable to reach the suspects or the victim in this case with their accounts of what happened.

Earlier this week, the Houston Police Department urged people not to confront suspected thieves and instead call authorities.

SEE ALSO: HPD asks people not to confront burglary suspects as tens of thousands of cases remain unsolved

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