Houston Police Department officials announced Wednesday that a suspect will be charged with murder after a 2-year-old was found dead in an SUV stolen after the child’s father was shot to death.
An unidentified 38-year-old suspect has been questioned and is “now facing murder and tampering with evidence” charges, police tweeted.
According to police, the victim had arranged a meeting with another man, which ended in an argument. The father, also 38, was shot to death, and his SUV was stolen, police said.
“We realized very quickly that the (man) who was murdered… was her husband,” police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said. “We never knew about the child until she called.”
Police discovered the SUV after a desperate search. Satterwhite said the child was unresponsive in the back seat.
“The ambulance did arrive, but sadly it was too late. The child had passed in the car,” Satterwhite said Tuesday.
The cause of the child’s death has not been determined. However, according to Satterwhite, the child’s death is likely related to being left in a hot car. Temperatures peaked in the mid-90s Tuesday in the area.
“Two people were killed in this incident today,” Satterwhite said.
For more on this story, please consider these sources:
- Man charged with murder after 2-year-old found dead in stolen SUV after his dad was shot and killed – 11 KHOU
- A man was fatally shot in Houston. Hours later, a boy thought to be his son was found dead in an SUV. – NBC News
- Suspect to face murder charges after 2-year-old found dead in stolen SUV following fatal shooting of father, Houston police say – CNN
- Toddler found dead in stolen car hours after deadly shooting, suspect in custody: Police – ABC News