Injured park ranger in good condition

A Houston park ranger, who was injured when he stopped the rape of a woman in an area park earlier this week, is in good condition, authorities said.

Conrad Wilturner, 44, was making a routine check at Cullinan Park — a City of Houston park situated in Fort Bend County — on Monday around 3 a.m., when he spotted a woman being beaten and raped in front of a locked gate, authorities said.

When Wilturner intervened and stopped the rape, the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Migueal Velasquez, struck the ranger in the face and head several times with a steel pipe.

Velasquez fled the scene, but Wilturner was still able to radio in the license plate to authorities and called for paramedics, officials said. Houston police later arrested Velasquez, who was charged with aggravated assault of a public servant, sexual assault and assault. He is being held at Fort Bend County Jail in lieu of a combined $750,000 bail.

Wilturner, who has worked for the Parks and Recreation Department since 2008, is facing a series of reconstructive surgeries, authorities said. He remains hospitalized at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

"We are very proud of Conrad who responded without hesitation or concern for his own safety," Joe Turner, director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, said in a prepared statement.

The city's urban park rangers are not licensed peace officers and they are to report incidents to Houston police or an authorized peace officer when warranted, Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Estella Espinosa said.

Also in a prepared statement, Wilturner's mother, Bernadine Wilturner, described her son as a caring and compassionate person who is well loved by his friends and family.

"Based on this incident, I would like to see urban park rangers provided with the tools necessary for their protection," she stated. "We respectfully ask for your continued prayers."