Texas Toddler Found Dead Inside Stolen SUV Hours After Dad Was Shot Dead Outside Hispanic Supermarket

A Texas toddler was found dead inside a vehicle in southwest Houston on Tuesday night, just hours after his dad was shot dead.

According to Fox News, investigators believed the suspect murdered the toddler's dad, stole the SUV, and vacated it. Detectives also believed that the suspect left behind the child, who may have died of heat exhaustion.

Police were first notified about a shooting on Tuesday afternoon near the 5500 block of El Camino Del Rey and found the lifeless Texas dad at the scene, which was outside a Hispanic supermarket.

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said the suspect and the victim had "some type of interaction," which may have been random, or they could have known each other.

Satterwhite noted that the investigation was still in the early stages. Officers did not identify the victim's identity. However, they said he was wearing a security uniform but did not determine what type.

Texas Toddler and Dad Found Dead Inside SUV

Houston police said the 38-year-old dad met up with the suspect for unknown reasons, and the two got into an argument. The suspect then pulled out a gun and shot the father multiple times, dying on the scene, according to KHOU 11.

The victim's SUV, described as a black Chevy Traverse or Equinox with a paper license plate, was found abandoned at around 7 p.m., almost half an hour after police received a call from a woman who reported her husband and child were missing.

Houston police spoke with the victim's wife and said her husband left with their 2-year-old son and went somewhere "to meet with someone" before they went missing.

The woman also provided the make and model of the SUV, which police then located about a mile away near 5900 Elm St. after canvassing the area. While checking the vehicle, the police officers found the Texas toddler in the backseat of the SUV.

Police officers quickly broke off the SUV's glass and immediately rendered aid to the toddler. However, Satterwhite said the kid was pronounced dead by the time an ambulance arrived.

Satterwhite noted that finding deceased children was "the hardest thing I've ever done" and "the hardest thing we do."

Texas Police Looking For the Suspect

Police said the suspect is still on the run and described him as a Black man with a slim build. He was reportedly wearing a white shirt with black shorts and a black Raiders cap. The suspect also has long facial hair around the chin area.

A woman said she was at a nearby gas station when she heard the shots being fired, adding that she saw the victim fall to his death, ABC 13 News reported. The woman added that the victim was "tumbling and agonizing."

Police said they considered the deaths of the toddler and his dad a double homicide and pleaded for the public's help in finding the man they believe was responsible.

"A mother lost her husband, and she lost her 2-year-old child. We are asking for your help," Satterwhite noted.

Authorities urged anyone who knows anything about this case to call the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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