Spring woman sues Bellaire gas station after son's murder

A Fort Worth man and a Spring woman are suing a Sugar Land business owner after their son was shot and killed as he tried to help a robbery victim at a Bellaire gas station.

Stan Irick and Spring resident Randi Wood, individually and on behalf of their deceased son Samuel Irick, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Aug. 24 in Harris County District Court against DZ Beechnut and Sugar Land resident Daniel L. Zalta.

The plaintiffs say on Nov. 11, 2010, a suspect shot Samuel at the Chevron station, located at 4680 Beechnut in Bellaire, because he intervened in a robbery.

The suit alleges that as Irick purchased gas, he witnessed the suspect robbing a woman at gunpoint and ran to her defense, but the suspect shot him in the chest. He later died from the gunshot wounds, according to the brief.

The plaintiffs claim that defendants' failure to provide gas station customers with adequate security resulted in the shooting.

Irick and Wood are seeking damages and court costs. They are being represented in the case by Fort Worth attorney John David Hart.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2012-49040.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.