An off-duty Harris County deputy was fatally shot as he tried to stop men from stealing his catalytic converter in a grocery store parking lot, according to the sheriff.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the deputy, who has since been identified as 23-year veteran Darren Almendarez, was with his wife when he approached two to three suspects on Thursday night outside the store.
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He tried to stop them from stealing the catalytic converter from his vehicle, and they then exchanged gunfire, KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, reported.
He was struck by a bullet and taken to a hospital, where he later died. His wife, who witnessed the incident, was not injured.
Gonzalez said that Almendarez told her to run when the incident started.
Two of the suspects were struck amid the gunfire and they drove themselves to the hospital with injuries considered serious to critical.
On Friday afternoon, Gonzalez identified the men as Joshua Stewart, 23, and Fredarius Clark, 19 and said both men had been charged.
A 3rd male believed to be in his late teens is being sought for questioning.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
“This is tragic. You know, we’re tired of this crime in our community,” Gonzalez said in a press conference. “We’re tired that people aren’t even safe to go out to the grocery store. This is a cop. This is a cop that’s just out with his family. It could be any one of us, and it happened to be him. That’s unacceptable and we’ve said it time and time again, and I just don’t know what else to say.”
Almendarez, 51, served in the office’s auto theft unit for the past year, Gonzalez said. He started out as a detention officer before working on patrol and investigations.
Gonzalez called Almendarez a “fighter” and “warrior,” and explained some hardships he endured in life.
“I’m told that early in life, in his young adulthood, he was working at a fast-food restaurant for a bit moment. I’m told he was homeless. He was trying to make ends meet as a young man,” he said.
Almendarez was also a father, he said.
Gonzalez wrote on Twitter that Almendarez and his wife were at the store to prepare for a cookout in celebration of his sister’s birthday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered prayers for Almendarez’s family in a statement Friday.
“Deputy Darren Almendarez lost his life while answering the call to serve and protect his fellow Texans, and this tragedy is a heartbreaking reminder of the sacrifices our law enforcement officers make both on and off duty,” Abbott said.
Heartbreaking. A graduate of Milby HS in the East End, he loved being a deputy. He and his wife were out buying groceries; last night was his sister’s bday and he was planning to have a cookout today in celebration. As the couple exited the store with the cart, it appears he https://t.co/buHOGqbges
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 1, 2022
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