HOUSTON, Texas – A 43-year-old woman is behind bars after authorities say she carjacked a man at knifepoint in broad daylight at a Houston-area gas station, then led police on a chaotic spree that ended with her slamming the stolen vehicle into an Exxon refinery gate.
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Chaninthorn Cuney allegedly approached the victim at a gas station in the 3700 block of East Sam Houston Parkway around 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, July 11. Surveillance video obtained by ABC13 shows Cuney holding a knife to the man's neck before forcing him out of his white pickup truck and speeding off in the vehicle.
What followed was a destructive rampage through east Harris County. Officials say Cuney rammed multiple cars as she fled the scene, weaving erratically through traffic and endangering innocent drivers and bystanders. The crime spree culminated when she crashed the stolen truck into a gate at a nearby Exxon refinery, where she was taken into custody without further incident.
Court documents reviewed by local media describe the incident as an aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Cuney faces multiple charges, including carjacking and assault. No prior criminal history was immediately detailed in initial reports, but authorities noted she struck several other vehicles during her flight.
The brazen daytime attack has raised fresh concerns about rising violent crime in the Houston metro area, where residents continue to voice frustration over repeat offenders and what some call a revolving-door justice system. Gas station customers who witnessed the chaos described a terrifying scene of vehicles scattering to avoid the out-of-control truck.
"This is the kind of random violence that makes law-abiding Texans demand tougher penalties and real accountability," one local resident told Fox News affiliates. "People just trying to fill up their tanks shouldn't have to worry about knife-wielding suspects turning the pumps into a demolition derby."
Harris County Sheriff's Office investigators are continuing to review surveillance from the gas station and surrounding areas. The victim was not seriously injured in the initial carjacking but was left shaken by the ordeal.
Cuney remains in custody as the case moves through the court system.
