KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
June 21, 2024
By Natalie Cook Clark
A family of Katy Tae Kwon Do instructors intervened Monday when they heard a victim scream during a sexual assault attempt. Using martial arts and their drive to help, they stopped the crime.
Han An is the owner of Yong-In Tae Kwon Do Academy at the 6800 block of Fry Road where he works along with his sons, Simon and Christian, and his daughter Hannah. They arrived at the academy before 4:00 p.m. Monday when they heard a scream from the Cricket store next door.
The An Family Took Action to Help
“When we heard the second scream, we instinctively knew something was wrong,” says Simon An.
The An family took action by running over to the wireless store. In a back room they found a man on top of a young female employee. They separated the suspect from the victim and pinned him in a corner.
“One of the things we hate in this world is people taking advantage of others for their greed and satisfaction so when my dad, brother, and I pinned him in the corner, it took everything in my body to not beat this man up. Even if he was a criminal, I couldn't because of what Tae Kwon Do has taught me,” says Simon An. “Tae Kwon Do taught how to defend, not to attack.”
According to the An family, the young woman was grateful and went right up to Hannah An crying.
The suspect is 19-year-old Alex Robinson. The An family says that they have seen him outside the Cricket store earlier that day.
Han An was assaulted during the rescue. According to his son, he twisted the suspects shirt and pinned him in the corner. That’s when Robinson turned on An and started biting and scratching.
Suspect Arrested and Charged
When Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived, they arrested Robinson and charged him with attempted sexual assault and for assaulting Han.
While the community sees the An family as being heroes, they like to think that anyone would have jumped into action to help.
“We wouldn't say we were heros,” says Simon An. “We did it to save the female employee because in that specific situation anyone can go and prevent what is happening. We hope that anyone can stand up and fight who are weak.”
An says that in addition to his Tae Kwon Do training, the sport also teaches how to manage stress and anxiety while boosting confidence.
“In a situation like this, the last thing anyone could do is panic and not think straight,” explains Simon An.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez took to social media Monday to report the incident and praise the An family for their quick action and for being good Samaritans.
“Thank you Yong-In dojo for your quick action in protecting others,” says Sheriff Gonzalez.