Texas Man Accused of Murdering Parents Arrested While Playing Poker
A Texas man alleged to have killed his parents was arrested Tuesday while playing poker and charged with capital murder.
Benjamin Frakes, 39, was taken into custody at Doghouse Poker Club in Cypress, Texas, a town 25 miles northwest of Downtown Houston. The arrest was without incident, according to police.
Accusations Against Poker Player
A Facebook post from the Harris County Constable Precinct 4 account provided some details about the arrest. Constable Mark Herman's office received a call about a wanted suspect playing poker inside the Doghouse Poker Club.
Upon arriving, deputies were informed that a man wanted for double murder was inside the card room. The suspect turned out to be Frakes, who police say had a "sizable amount of cocaine, alprazolam (Xanax), Oxycodone, and other unknown substances" in his possession. Authorities took Frakes into custody and transported him to the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide bureau for interrogation and processing, according to Constable Herman. Two firearms were discovered inside his vehicle.
Frakes is accused of forcing his way into the home of his 72-year-old father, Franklin Frakes, and 56-year-old stepmother, Fiorentina Frakes, where he allegedly fatally shot both. The incident is presumed to have taken place May 15. A concerned neighbor went to check on the couple the following day, and that is when the bodies were discovered. Investigators believe Franklin Frakes returned gunfire in self-defense as Benjamin Frakes appeared to have a slight gunshot wound.
“They were out there watering their plants. Quiet night — that’s all it was. Nothing out of the ordinary,” said Joshua Griffin, a neighbor who said he last saw the couple alive Thursday evening, told Houston's KHOU-11 news channel. “To hear what’s going on, it made it worse.”
The couple's black Mercedes SUV is missing, and police believe the son took it after committing the violent crime. Frakes faces two counts of capital murder.
Online Poker Pro Craig Bergeron Suspected in Detroit Fatal Shooting
*Images courtesy of Harris County Constable Precinct 4.
