'I want my baby back': Mom of 2-year-old killed by robbers in Texas breaks silence

Saturday, July 6, 2019
Mom of 2-year-old killed by robbers in Spring shares her story
Dorothy Harris says she can't eat and never imagined mourning the loss of her first child.

SPRING, Texas -- A heartbroken mother is breaking her silence after her 2-year-old son was killed when shots were fired into the family's garage in Spring, Texas.

It happened Tuesday around 11:30 p.m. at the Trailing Vine Place apartments on Trailing Vine Road off Aldine Westfield Road.

According to authorities, the 38-year-old father and his friend were standing by the garage bay door, close to the parking lot. Investigators believe the shooter shot them first, then went into the garage and shot Ivory West Jr.

Ivory's mother, Dorothy Harris, now says she can't eat and never imagined sitting here, mourning the loss of her first child.

"I just want my baby back, I just want him back," Harris said through her tears during an exclusive interview with KTRK-TV.

Harris said she was washing out bottles on Tuesday when she heard fireworks followed by gunfire and Ivory's scream.

Through the tears, Dorothy Harris spoke of her son's final moments.

Deputies say the father was shot nearly 10 times. He was flown to Memorial Hermann, where he's in critical condition but expected to survive. The friend was shot once in the foot and is stable in the hospital. Ivory was pronounced dead at the scene.

When Ivory's mother heard the shots, investigators say she ran to the garage and the suspects were still there. They say one of the men held a gun to her head and demanded money. The mother said she didn't have any and the suspects ran off.

They were seen running east on Aldine Westfield Road.

Harris described the 2-year-old as energetic and was always running through the house. She recalled his last words being "I love you."

Deputies are looking for help in identifying the suspects. They are described as two black men between the ages of 25 and 35 years old. The men are approximately 5'10'' to 6' tall. One of the suspects was wearing a black hat, black pants and a black hoodie with "NIKE" on the front in gold letters. The other suspect wore a red hat and a gray T-shirt.

"My baby didn't have a chance to go to school, didn't get a chance to see his third birthday," Harris said.