Longview Teen Allegedly Attacks Friend, Steals Vehicle

HENDERSON — A Longview teen is charged with a first degree felony after he allegedly attacked a person giving him a ride home. On Tuesday at around 9 p.m., the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a residence on CR 167D in the Kilgore area in reference to an assault. According to KETK, once deputies arrived at the residence, they noticed the victim lying on the floor, face down and short of breath. The victim was able speak to deputies before being taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The victim stated he had attended a basketball game in Longview, and the suspect, Tate Earnest Nelson, 17, of Longview, asked the victim for a ride. The victim was driving as Nelson was giving directions.

As they reached County Road 167D, Nelson asked the victim to pull over so he could use the rest room. When he returned to the vehicle, he allegedly began choking and assaulting the victim. According to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Nelson removed the unconscious victim from the vehicle and after stomping the victim in the head, walked away, leaving the victim on the ground.

A nearby witness stated they were outside when Nelson approached them and began telling them he thought that he had killed the victim and needed help to get rid of the body. The witness refused to help Nelson, and then noticed the victim crawling up the steps of a nearby residence. Authorities say when Nelson noticed the victim wasn’t dead, he fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. The witness stated that before Nelson fled the scene, the victim had made it to the door of the house and the resident called 911.

Authorities say as Nelson fled the scene, he was unaware the victim’s cell phone, equipped with a GPS tracking application, was in the vehicle. A short time later, the GPS tracking application indicated that Nelson was traveling westbound on I-20, near Canton. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch notified the Canton Police Department and Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office with the license plate number and description of the victim’s vehicle. At approximately 10:45 p.m., the Canton Police Department was able to locate the vehicle traveling on I-20; after a brief pursuit, law enforcement deployed spikes to stop the vehicle and Nelson was taken into custody.

Nelson is in the Van Zandt County Jail and charged with aggravated robbery with serious bodily injury, a first degree felony. The victim is currently at home, recuperating from his injuries.