Ryan Mitchell Smith, a 26-year-old charged with stabbing an HPD K-9 Unit Saturday morning, Jan. 22, was arrested in Bellville Tuesday, Jan. 25, for evading arrest and later charged with murder, according to Houston Police.

Smith was accused of the murder of his father after allegedly, “provid(ing) a statement that he had killed Mr. Cameron Smith on Jan. 24, 2022, by distracting him and then striking him in the head three times with a 15-pound dumbbell before tying a plastic bag around Cameron Smith’s head,” according to court documents.

Commander Kevin Deese of HPD’s Homicide Division explained during a media briefing last Tuesday morning that a body was found stored in the garage of the property where they believe Smith’s father was the lone occupant.

Smith was arrested in Austin County at approximately 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, after being located walking along Highway 159, according to Houston Police. Smith evaded arrest on foot following a police chase Monday night, Jan. 24, which ended near Memorial Park, explained Deese.

“He was arrested without incident by the (Texas Department of Public Safety – Southeast Texas Region) and faces a felony evading charge. HPD detectives will question him about the death of his father,” according to a Tuesday afternoon tweet from HPD.

Additionally, Smith was arrested, charged and released after he stabbed an HPD K-9 unit in a separate incident.

“On Saturday, a Ryan Smith – male, 26 years of age – was involved in the stabbing of a Houston Police Department K-9 Unit. He was arrested and charged in that case,” explained Deese. “On Sunday, we can tell you that he was bonded out by family members and he was brought back to stay at a location to say here at a location here in the 14700 block of Carolcrest.”

Deese said family members became concerned Monday morning after they hadn’t heard from the property’s lone occupant – who police believe was Smith’s father – who was staying at the location with him. The family members searched the property and found nothing concerning other than the deceased’s phone, which Deese reported was uncharacteristic of the decedent.

HPD Missing Persons and Homicide Division investigators spoke with the family again Monday night, searched the property and found nothing suspicious other than the absence of the decedent’s truck.

“While our officers were on the scene, they noticed the vehicle/pickup truck that belonged to our decedent. It showed up on the location down the street with the lights off,” Deese said. “Once they got close enough to the vehicle they confirmed that it was in fact Mr. Smith behind the wheel and he took off from the location.”

A pursuit followed, which ended in the Memorial Park area where Smith crashed the truck and evaded on foot. While units were searching for Smith, homicide detectives returned to the property Tuesday morning and found the decedent dead in the garage from “apparently not natural causes, but he was hidden in a location that made it very difficult for anybody to find him,” according to Deese.

The official identity of the decedent is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, according to HPD Jan. 27.