Court records say the 43-year-old threatened two drivers before ramming a gate at the ExxonMobil complex.
HARRIS COUNTY, TX — A Louisiana woman was arrested after authorities said she took a pickup truck from a man at knifepoint, struck several vehicles and rammed a gate at an ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown.
Chaninthorn Cuney, 43, is accused of starting the series of events Saturday at a gas station in the 3700 block of East Sam Houston Parkway. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the incident continued for about 13 miles before Cuney was taken into custody at the refinery. Court documents and surveillance video cited in local reports describe confrontations with the pickup driver and a postal worker.
Surveillance video from the gas station appears to show a woman holding a knife and making stabbing motions near an unoccupied sport utility vehicle. The woman then approaches a white pickup truck and opens its door while the driver is inside.
The video shows the woman and the driver struggling beside the truck. Court documents say she placed the knife against the man’s neck before pulling him from the vehicle. Authorities allege that she then got behind the wheel and drove away.
Before leaving the station, the driver struck the nearby SUV, backed up and hit it again, pushing it toward a gas pump, according to the video. The truck then entered the Beltway feeder road before returning to the parking lot and striking another vehicle.
Authorities said the stolen truck was driven about 13 miles east to Baytown. It later collided with a U.S. Postal Service truck on Market Street, according to court records. When the postal worker stepped out to check on the crash, Cuney allegedly displayed the knife and made stabbing motions.
The sequence ended at the nearby ExxonMobil Baytown refinery. Court documents say Cuney rammed one of the facility’s gates before officers arrested her. Authorities had not released information about injuries connected to the crashes or the alleged confrontations.
During a probable-cause hearing Monday, Cuney said she was a victim of identity theft after a magistrate asked whether she wanted a court-appointed attorney. The available reports did not identify an attorney representing her or provide a complete list of charges filed in the case.
Records also show Cuney was arrested in Louisiana in 2020 after a separate vehicle-related disturbance. The Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office said at the time that she drove into a house and several vehicles following an argument. That earlier arrest is separate from the allegations in Harris County, and the outcome of the Louisiana case was not immediately available.
Cuney remained in custody as the Harris County case proceeded. Investigators had not publicly announced a motive or released further details about damage at the gas station, the postal vehicle or the refinery gate.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.