9-year-old calls 911 during Houston-area carjacking

Boys tell dispatcher what was going on, where they were

HOUSTON – The 9-year-old who called 911 from inside a carjacked vehicle in the Houston area is speaking out about Wednesday night's incident.

Latonya Jackson operates an after-school transportation service and stopped to get tacos for five children who were inside her SUV.

Fourth-grader Alex Veasley was one of those kids. He said Jackson got out of the vehicle and went back into the restaurant to get a burger for another child. That's when a man police identify as 24-year-old Brenton Simmons jumped in.

"He said, 'Hang on,' and I was like, 'Wait, you're in the wrong car,' and he was like, 'I know, I'm stealing this car,'" Alex said in an interview with KPRC-TV.

Alex said Simmons drove them around for hours and the man was drinking beer as he drove. The 9-year-old said Simmons was speeding and swerving all over the road barely missing other cars.

"The car almost flipped over," he said.

Alex said most of the other kids were asleep, but Simmons' erratic driving finally woke up the oldest child in the car.

"His head hit the ceiling and he said, 'Is there somebody in this car?' and I was like, 'Yep, we're getting car-robbed,'" said Alex.

When Simmons stopped in Cinco Ranch to get gas, Alex saw an opportunity -- a cellphone left behind by Latonya Jackson.

"It was in a cup holder in the back seat, so I grabbed it and called 911," Alex said.

Alex and the 11-year-old boy told a dispatcher what was going on and where they were. Shortly after that call, they saw the flashing police lights that meant they would soon be free.

"I was like, 'Yes!' And I was happy because I could finally go home because I was exhausted," said Alex.

Houston police said Simmons is facing five counts of kidnapping.