Fernando Esqueda dies in fatal Houston-area shooting
Fatal Houston-area shooting death of Fernando Esqueda – Obituary
A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Deputy Fernando Esqueda in the Houston area. Esqueda, 28, was killed early Thursday morning after he reported finding the vehicle of a suspect involved in an assault at a Little Caesars Pizza, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Ronald Palmer Jr. was taken into custody around 7 p.m. Thursday, following authorities’ appeal for him to surrender.
He faces charges including capital murder of a police officer and two counts of aggravated assault. Prosecutors are seeking to deny him bond.
There is no attorney listed for Palmer in court or jail records, and efforts to reach him via phone were unsuccessful as of Friday morning.
The incident began Wednesday night when a customer at the Little Caesars Pizza became enraged over an incorrect order, attacked the clerk with a pistol, and then fled the scene, reported Harris County Chief Deputy Mike Lee.
The clerk’s description of the vehicle and its license plate led deputies to start searching for it.
Esqueda located the suspect’s vehicle around midnight. Upon discovering the vehicle, officers found Esqueda had been shot multiple times and rushed him to the hospital.
Sheriff Gonzalez stated that it seems Esqueda was ambushed, sustaining severe gunshot wounds before being pronounced dead at the hospital.
Esqueda, a respected member of a specialized task force focused on violent crime, had been with the sheriff’s office for approximately five years. During the ongoing security efforts following Hurricane Beryl, Esqueda and his colleagues had been working extended shifts to maintain order and prevent looting.
Fatal Houston-area shooting death of Fernando Esqueda – Obituary A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Deputy Fernando Esqueda in the Houston area. Esqueda, 28, was killed early Thursday morning after he reported finding the vehicle of a suspect involved in an assault at a Little Caesars Pizza,…
Fatal Houston-area shooting death of Fernando Esqueda – Obituary A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Deputy Fernando Esqueda in the Houston area. Esqueda, 28, was killed early Thursday morning after he reported finding the vehicle of a suspect involved in an assault at a Little Caesars Pizza,…