A Houston food vendor who had only recently started using TikTok was livestreaming from her regular selling spot when a man allegedly approached her, ordered food and then pulled a gun, demanded her money and took the gold chain from around her neck, according to a report from KHOU 11.
Reporter Anayeli Ruiz spoke with the woman, identified as Teresa, who said she had spent the past four years getting up around 4 a.m. to prepare food and sell it outside an apartment complex in southeast Houston, only to have that routine shattered by a robbery that unfolded in front of her own phone camera.
Teresa said she feels fortunate to have survived without being seriously injured, but the experience left her so frightened that she stopped returning to the place where she had worked for years.
A Routine Morning Turned Into A Robbery
Ruiz reported that the man first approached Teresa as if he were an ordinary customer and ordered food before suddenly demanding money.
The TikTok livestream captured the confrontation as the suspect allegedly made clear that it was a robbery and threatened to shoot Teresa if she tried to do anything.
Teresa said she was stunned.
“I stayed in shock. Nothing like this had ever happened to me,” she told Ruiz.
She said she froze and did not know how to respond, which is an understandable reaction when a normal workday turns into an armed confrontation within seconds.
The fact that the robbery happened in such an ordinary setting makes it especially unsettling. Teresa was not out late at night or in some isolated location; she was simply doing the same work she had been doing for years.
Teresa Tried To Point Out The Livestream
As the robbery continued, Teresa pointed toward her phone, apparently trying to tell the suspect that the entire encounter was being broadcast live.
Ruiz said the man did not appear to care.
That detail is striking because people often think visible cameras will discourage criminal behavior, but in this case the alleged robber continued even after Teresa tried to draw attention to the recording.
The suspect then demanded more.
After taking her money, he allegedly told Teresa to hand over her gold chain.
“Give me the chain, please,” the man can be heard saying in the recording, according to Ruiz’s report.
Teresa said that was the moment when her fear became even worse.
She worried that if the man asked for something else, she would have nothing left to give him.
“I thought, this time he is going to kill me,” she said.
She Had Only Been Using TikTok For Eight Days
Ruiz said Teresa had started using TikTok only about eight days before the robbery.
That turned out to be significant because her phone captured the incident in real time.
Teresa said she was grateful the camera happened to be running.
The recording preserved the suspect’s voice, his demands and the sequence of events, giving investigators a direct look at what happened rather than forcing them to rely only on memory after a traumatic experience.
Still, the existence of video did not make the encounter any less frightening for Teresa in the moment.
She said she kept thinking about what might have happened if the man had decided to fire the weapon.
“Thank God I was saved,” she told Ruiz.
Suspect Ran To A Waiting Car
The man eventually left on foot and got into a vehicle, according to the report.
Teresa was left behind badly shaken.
“I was traumatized,” she said.
She called police, and Houston Police Department investigators later made an arrest.
Ruiz reported that officers arrested Edgard Eliud Castillo, who now faces a charge of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
The station showed an older mugshot of Castillo while reporting on the arrest.
Police also said Castillo had been arrested in another matter involving allegations of evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance.
According to KHOU, his criminal history dates back to 2008.
At this stage, the aggravated robbery charge remains an allegation, and Castillo has not been convicted in connection with Teresa’s case.
Teresa Has Not Returned To Work
Even with a suspect in custody, Teresa said the fear has not gone away.
She stopped selling food outside the apartment complex after the robbery because she is worried someone else could approach her in the same way.
“It scares me,” she said, explaining that she feels as though another person could appear at any moment.
That may be one of the longest-lasting effects of the attack.
For four years, Teresa had built a routine around waking early, preparing food and returning to the same place to work.
Now that familiar spot has become connected in her mind with a gun pointed at her and a stranger demanding everything she had.
The financial effect could also be serious because stepping away from work means losing income on top of the emotional damage caused by the robbery.
Livestream Became Evidence Instead Of Entertainment
Teresa’s TikTok account had barely become part of her daily life before it captured one of the most frightening moments she had ever experienced.
What was likely meant to be a simple livestream of her workday instead became evidence of an alleged armed robbery.
The clip also shows how quickly everyday technology can take on a completely different role during an emergency.
A phone that would normally be used to chat with viewers ended up documenting threats, demands and the suspect’s voice.
Ruiz’s report makes clear that Teresa did not feel protected simply because she was being recorded, but the video gave police something concrete to review afterward.
She Says Survival Matters Most
Teresa continues to struggle with what happened, but said she remains grateful that the encounter did not end with a shooting.
She repeatedly returned to that point when speaking with Ruiz.
Money and jewelry can be replaced.
The fear left behind by a gunpoint robbery is much harder to shake.
For Teresa, the arrest may bring some reassurance, but it has not yet been enough to convince her to return to the place where she had earned a living for four years.
Her livestream captured the moment an ordinary morning changed completely, and even though she survived without serious physical injury, the consequences are still shaping what she feels safe enough to do next.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
