Harris County sheriff’s deputy Darren Almendarez, 51, died at a hospital following a shooting between him and three men trying to steal his truck’s catalytic converter.
Three men in Texas are facing capital murder charges in connection to a shooting that resulted in the death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy this week, authorities say.
Harris County sheriff’s deputy Darren Almendarez, 51, and his wife were buying food at a grocery store Thursday night. As the couple exited the Houston-area store, Almendarez saw three men trying to steal his truck’s catalytic converter.
Almendarez was shot during a gunfire exchange with the suspects, according to tweets from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Following the shooting, Almendarez and two of the men were taken to the same hospital. Almendarez and one of the men were in critical condition while the other one was in serious condition, but the deputy died a few hours later, Gonzalez said.
The two wounded men identified by police as Joshua Stewart, 23, and Fredarius Clark, 19, were arrested on capital murder charges at the hospital, authorities said Friday.
