Cable man robs 83-year-old grandma and stabs her to death, Texas cops say

A cable man accused of robbing and killing an 83-year-old grandmother in her Texas home that he had worked in before faces a capital murder charge, NBC 5 DFW reported.

Roy James Holden Jr., 43, is accused of stabbing Betty Thomas to death in her Las Colinas home on Dec. 12. Irving police responded to Thomas’ home in the 3000 block of East Cortez Court at 6 p.m. on an “unconscious person call,” authorities said in a news release.

When police arrived, they found Thomas’ dead body with multiple stab wounds, the Star Telegram previously reported.

Authorities said Holden was able to enter the home because he’d been there before as an employee with Spectrum, a utilities service provider.

A Spectrum spokesperson released the following written statement to WFAA:

“This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the victim and her family and friends. We are actively working with Irving police as they conduct their investigation.”

On the same afternoon Thomas was killed, Holden was seen on surveillance video using her debit card, police told NBC 5 DFW. Thomas’ Ring doorbell camera also spotted Holden “walking into her home at about 4 p.m. wearing gloves and the same clothing he was later seen wearing at the store.”

Holden was arrested around 3 p.m. on Friday in Mesquite, Texas, said Robert Reeves, public information officer for Irving police, via Facebook Live.

Holden is in the Dallas County Jail, where he has been charged with capital murder and is being held on $500,000 bond, jail records show.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 3:15 PM.