$2.15M bond set for Harris County man accused of killing contractor after argument

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A Harris County man accused of killing a contractor at a northwest Harris County home and enlisting a stranger to help move furniture with the victim’s body is being held on a $2.15 million bond.

Steven Eberly, 36, is charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and attempting to take a deputy’s weapon.

Investigators say Eberly fatally stabbed 53-year-old Luis Silva Mendez, a contractor working at the home, after an argument. The suspect’s girlfriend told KPRC 2 the contractor “was very loved” and that, according to neighbors, the two had been arguing before the deadly confrontation.

All three of Eberly’s cases are scheduled for court on June 18.

FIRST REPORT: Man found dead wrapped in blanket after suspect enlists help from stranger to move furniture at NW Harris County home

What happened?

New details are emerging about a chaotic and disturbing scene in northwest Harris County, where a man’s body was found wrapped in a blanket outside a home on Friday.

According to the medical examiner, Mendez had been stabbed multiple times.

Deputies say several calls came in around 11 a.m., including one for a suspicious person on FM 1960, where a man was found bleeding from the head. Another call came in for a possible hit-and-run nearby. Around the same time, a man flagged down deputies to report a body at a home on Tim Allen Ct.

When deputies arrived, they found Mendez’s body wrapped in a blanket near the garage. Investigators believe there was an altercation between Eberly and the contractor.

After the incident, Eberly reportedly asked a stranger to help him move furniture. That stranger, unaware of what happened, agreed.

While moving items, the stranger spotted Mendez’s body inside a box. He fled the scene in the victim’s truck, but Eberly reportedly jumped into the bed of the truck, smashing windows as they drove off. The truck later crashed, and it’s believed this was connected to the failure to stop and render aid.

Eberly was later found on FM 1960 and taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities say no charges are expected against the witness who fled.

A woman who identified herself as the homeowner told KPRC 2 she was at work when the incident happened and that her boyfriend, Eberly, was home while a contractor was finishing a bathroom project.

Detectives believe the killing and subsequent events likely happened within a 24-hour period before the body was found.

Surveillance video obtained by KPRC 2 shows the moment the stranger discovered the body and drove off with Eberly in pursuit. A neighbor told reporters he had heard yelling earlier that abruptly stopped, and recalled a strange conversation with Eberly before the incident.