A former teacher in Texas is facing a murder charge after he allegedly beat an elderly military veteran to death over a parking spot dispute.
Earl Hollins, 80, “suffered a severe head injury” during the altercation outside a grocery store in Houston on Friday, Dec. 6, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement at the time.
On Sunday, Gonzalez announced they had identified 57-year-old Anthony Ray Boyce as the suspect in Hollins’ attack.
Hollins’ family told ABC 13 that they took off his life support on Saturday.
Anthony Boyce.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez/X
An arrest warrant for Boyce reviewed by PEOPLE alleges his attack on Hollins on Dec. 6 resulted in the victim’s death.
Boyce allegedly struck Hollins during a dispute over a parking spot, according to a bail motion document reviewed by PEOPLE. Investigators alleged in the document that Hollins suffered a brain bleed as a result and died days later.
While police initially thought the altercation was a robbery gone wrong, Gonzalez later said in a statement that Boyce and Hollins knew each other.
The nature of their relationship was not immediately clear.
Hollins is being remembered by his family members as a fun-loving father and grandfather who was often the most interesting person in the room.
His niece Elma Hollins-Washington told ABC 13 that he was a direct, honest person and was “one of a kind.”
“I mean, to know him, you have to love him,” she told the outlet.
Hollins’ son told KHOU 11 that he was a single father who was always laughing and joking around.
Boyce is a former teacher with a school district in Cypress, Texas, per Click 2 Houston. He was a substitute teacher, the school district confirmed to the outlet. The district did not immediately respond to our requests for further information.
His bond has been set at $200,000, court records show. No information about a plea was available in the online court records, and an attorney listed for him did not immediately respond to our request for comments.
