A Texas man is in custody after allegedly breaking into the home of an elderly convenience store owner, brutally stabbing him with a screwdriver, and stealing approximately $3,000 from a safe.
Anthony Cerda, 24, was apprehended on Friday and charged with capital murder for the fatal stabbing of 90-year-old Francisco Chura, who was attacked while sleeping in his Houston residence last summer, according to Houston police.
Cerda allegedly forced entry into the elderly man’s home, which was connected to the retail store he had managed for many years, by removing an air-conditioning unit from a rear window on August 20, 2025, as stated in court documents obtained by Law & Crime.
He then allegedly attacked the elderly man, repeatedly punching and stabbing him in the stomach.
Chura informed police that he woke up during the assault and pretended to be dead until the attacker left. He then hid in the bathroom until daylight before running to a neighbor’s house for help, according to court documents.
A bent and bloodied screwdriver was reportedly found at the scene, along with an open safe missing thousands of dollars.
The victim was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries on September 7, 2025, police reported.
“Everyone knew him. Everyone grew up with him,” a grieving neighbor told KTRK about the victim.
“Everyone was shocked when it happened.”
Authorities first questioned Cerda two months after the incident when they found him hiding in a crawl space under his aunt’s house. She informed investigators that her homeless nephew had visited Chura’s store a day or two before the murder, noting that the victim occasionally lent him money.
A witness reported to the police that Cerda had received money from Chura during one visit to the store, but he later returned to demand more cash, leading to an argument in which Chura refused and expelled him, according to court documents.
The suspect was eventually arrested when DNA from both him and the victim was found on the alleged murder weapon.
At the time of his arrest, Cerda was already incarcerated in Harris County Jail on another charge.
