Toddler found dead in backseat after father is carjacked and killed, Texas cops say
A person of interest has been detained and faces murder charges a day after a man was fatally shot and his young child was found dead in the backseat of his stolen vehicle, Texas police say
Police in Houston say the 38-year-old victim met with another man around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, when, for unknown reasons, a disturbance between the two began.
The suspect shot the 38-year-old and fled in the victim’s black SUV, Houston police executive chief Larry Satterwhite said in a news briefing.
As police were investigating the shooting and attempting to find the suspect, they received a call around 6:30 p.m. from the victim’s wife, according to Satterwhite. She said her husband and 2-year-old child were missing, giving information that matched that of the victim and SUV involved in the shooting.
Before then, officers were unaware a toddler was present during the shooting, police said.
Officers searched the area and found the SUV abandoned about a mile from the initial crime scene about 30 minutes after receiving the wife’s call, according to Satterwhite.
The child was unresponsive in the backseat, police said. Officers broke the glass and attempted to perform CPR on the toddler.
“Sadly, it was too late. The child had passed in the car,” Satterwhite said. “At this time, we don’t know why or how or what the cause of death will be. It could be something like heat exhaustion. We just don’t know.”
Police were searching for the suspect and provided surveillance video of him entering a gas station earlier in the day Tuesday.
Wednesday morning, police said a person of interest had been detained and was being questioned. The 38-year-old man faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence.
Police have not released the identities of the man and child who died.
“Pray for this family,” Satterwhite said. “A mother lost her husband and she lost her 2-year-old child today.”
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Toddler found dead in backseat after father is carjacked and killed, Texas cops say."