Michael Ortiz dies in fatal Houston County murder

Michael Ortiz dies in fatal Houston County murder

Fatal Houston County murder death of Michael Ortiz – Obituary

Michael Ortiz, a teenager from Houston County, Texas, was brutally killed in an assault that took place sometime between the evening of April 29 and midnight on April 30, 2025. Authorities believe Ortiz was beaten with a metal pipe near a storage structure behind Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Crockett.

According to an arrest affidavit, Edgar Hernandez and Emmanuel Mata, along with other individuals, participated in the deadly attack. Law enforcement officials have now arrested a total of six suspects in the case, including Hernandez, Mata, and two unidentified juveniles. The latest two suspects were apprehended in Montgomery and Ellis counties and are being transported to Houston County for arraignment. Their names have not yet been made public.

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with a task force and the U.S. Marshals Service, worked diligently to track down the remaining suspects and bring them into custody. All individuals arrested in the case face charges of murder in connection to the death of Ortiz.