Investigators say a 40-year-old was found shot inside the truck on West Dyna Drive near Airline.
HOUSTON, TX — A taco truck operator was found shot to death late Thursday in north Houston, and police are looking for two masked suspects captured on surveillance video near the scene. Officers responded around 11:30 p.m. to the 1000 block of West Dyna Drive, just off the North Freeway, where the victim was discovered inside the truck.
The killing has drawn an intensive search by Houston police as detectives review nearby cameras and collect witness statements. Authorities said the man, 40, was closing the family-run truck when he was attacked. Relatives who had grown worried when he didn’t answer calls went to check on him and found the scene. The case sits at an early stage: no arrests, no publicly named suspects, and a motive still being examined. Investigators said initial evidence suggests the shooters wore masks and fled in a white sedan, and officials expect to release the victim’s identity after family notifications.
Detectives were called just before midnight after a report of a “delayed shooting” at the truck, which was parked along West Dyna Drive near Airline Drive in the Aldine/Greenspoint area. Officers arrived to find the man unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds inside the service window area of the vehicle. Houston Police Department Lt. Amber Khan said early indications pointed to two men in ski masks seen leaving in a white car. “We have little information on why the shooting occurred,” Khan said. Family members told investigators the victim had texted that he was closing up for the night before communication suddenly stopped. Patrol units secured the block while homicide detectives canvassed businesses for video that might show the approach or getaway.
Officials said surveillance footage captured two masked men near the truck moments before the gunfire. Detectives are working to enhance video from storefronts and residential systems to clarify the suspects’ clothing, build, and movements. The victim’s name and exact cause of death will be released by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences after an autopsy. Investigators said they have not confirmed robbery as the motive and are keeping other possibilities open. The shooting happened near Interstate 45, in a corridor lined with late-night food vendors and small retail shops. Police said they are also checking license plate readers on feeder roads and cross streets to see whether a white sedan matching witness accounts was recorded leaving the area around the time of the attack.
The area has seen steady foot and car traffic into the late evening hours, with food trucks operating near service stations and small centers. In prior after-hours incidents nearby, officers have relied on camera footage from multiple angles, including security lenses posted on rooftops or under awnings, to piece together time stamps and travel paths. Thursday’s shooting unfolded after most storefronts had closed, narrowing the window in which potential witnesses were out. Neighbors described the truck as a regular stop for workers late in the week, and detectives noted the quiet stretch of West Dyna backs up to larger thoroughfares, giving a swift route to the North Freeway and Airline. The configuration makes door-to-door canvassing critical, investigators said, because vehicles can slip onto main lanes quickly and out of view.
Police said the investigation now moves through several steps: downloading high-resolution copies of surveillance clips; mapping the suspects’ approach and exit; and awaiting ballistics findings that could link shell casings or rounds to any prior cases. The homicide division will compare the sequence with other late-night shootings and with any reports of a white sedan involved in recent assaults. Detectives will also track phone activity around the scene through lawful processes and review any prior calls for service at the truck’s location. No arrests had been announced as of Saturday morning, and police said updates would follow once the medical examiner confirms the victim’s identity and next-of-kin notifications are complete. Any charging decisions would come after investigators identify suspects and consult with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
By sunrise Friday, a strip of yellow tape still ringed the block as crime scene technicians photographed the truck’s service window and collected evidence from the pavement and interior. Flashing patrol lights reflected off closed storefronts while detectives conferred beside a marked SUV. A man who said he lives nearby described waking up to sirens and seeing officers at the intersection. Family members at the scene declined to speak at length but said the operator was dependable and often closed just before midnight. “This is a hardworking family,” a relative said in Spanish, adding that they learned something was wrong when calls went unanswered. A worker at a nearby shop said the truck drew consistent late-night customers and that he hoped cameras on the building would provide a clear look at the suspects.
As of midday Saturday, investigators said they were still gathering video and interview statements and expected to release additional details, including the victim’s name, after the medical examiner’s office completes its review and the family is notified. Police said the next update could come once key footage is processed and timelines are set for interviews early next week.
Author note: Last updated Saturday, December 6, 2025.