Anival Patricio Elvir Ortiz somehow managed to continue riding along a trail near Harrisburg Boulevard but collapsed and died after arriving at work.
HOUSTON — A man in his 70s is dead after he was stabbed in the back while riding his bike to work Thursday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.
HPD said 77-year-old Anival Patricio Elvir Ortiz somehow kept going for 10 to 15 minutes.
Surveillance video shared with KHOU 11 shows the moment police believe it happened. Another angle shows the headlights reportedly from Ortiz’s bike moving across the intersection on the Harrisburg trail.
“He might not have realized his injuries were so severe, and he just kept riding his bike,” HPD Sgt. Mark Holbrook said.
When he showed up at the lawn care company where he worked around 6 a.m., he told his coworkers a white man had hit him in the back.
“He collapsed and was severely bleeding,” Holbrook said. “He was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died of his injuries.”
“We’re going to follow the bike trail with Precinct 6 constables,” Holbrook said. “Try to find the blood trail and try to find out where he was stabbed, locate the scene of the crime.”
They’re hoping for clues that lead to the killer’s identity.
“We’re going to try to put him in jail for that,” Holbrook said.
Hours later, flowers, balloons and a wooden cross marked the spot where family members said Ortiz collapsed.
They said the beloved grandfather rode his bike to work every day along a trail on Harrisburg Boulevard.
Angel Araiza lives nearby and said it’s a popular trail. He was shocked to learn that something so tragic happened just steps from his home.
“Devastating. I just imagine getting the news that, whether it be your father, grandfather, all of a sudden got stabbed. It’s heartbreaking,” Araiza said.
KHOU 11’s Katiera Winfrey reached out to The Spencer Company for a statement. Here’s what they said:
“We understand that one of our valued team members was attacked by an assailant on his way to work this morning, and he subsequently passed away due to his injuries. We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation, and most importantly, our thoughts and prayers go out to our team member’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Watch the update Holbrook gave at the scene: