Crime & Safety
Houston Toddler Found Dead In Stolen Car After Father Killed: Police
A person of interest in the Tuesday killings has been detained, according to Houston police.
HOUSTON, TEXAS — A 2-year-old was found dead in a stolen car in Houston on Tuesday just hours after the toddler's father was shot and killed while meeting with another man, according to Houston police.
A person of interest has been detained in connection with the deaths, authorities said Tuesday night. The person is currently being questioned.
Houston police were called to an area near El Camino Del Rey Street and Chimney Rock Road just after 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said during a news conference. When officers arrived, they found a 38-year-old man had been shot to death, Satterwhite said.
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According to investigators, the victim was likely meeting another man at that location when an argument ensued. Satterwhite said the other man took out a gun and shot the victim multiple times before stealing his black SUV and fleeing.
After launching an investigation into the man's death, police received a call around 6:35 p.m. from a woman reporting her husband and 2-year-old child missing. According to Satterwhite, the woman's description of the man and their vehicle led police to believe her husband was the victim of Tuesday's shooting.
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"We never knew about the child until she called," Satterwhite said during the news conference.
The SUV was located about 10 miles from the scene of the shooting, Satterwhite said. The child was still inside the car.
Satterwhite said police immediately broke the windows to remove the child from the vehicle. Officers provided first aid and called an ambulance, but the child died at the scene.
According to Satterwhite, the suspect likely turned off the engine, left the car, and locked it with the child still in it.
"We are asking for a lot of things from the public right now," Satterwhite said Tuesday. "First and foremost, pray for this family. A mother lost her husband and she lost her 2-year-old child today."
An autopsy will determine the child's official cause of death, Satterwhite said.
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