HOUSTON – A suspect in connection with a carjacking where the victim was shot and killed at a southwest Houston gas station has been arrested in Corpus Christi, the Houston Police Department announced.
The suspect, Alexis Garcia, 20, was found in the middle of an empty field and was to a local hospital for medical clearance. He is currently being held at a detention center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
HPD initially named him as a person of interest but has now been named as a suspect in connection with the carjacking on Thursday night.
Houston police have not confirmed if he is the murder suspect at this time.
Garcia has been charged with two counts of theft (Unauthorized Use of a motor vehicle), aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carrying of a weapon as more charges are possibly pending.
According to police, tracking technology on the stolen vehicle helped investigators discover it was in Corpus Christi.
Details of deadly carjacking
The shooting happened at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday night near 11700 Southwest Freeway.
Officers were first dispatched to the intersection of West Bellfort and the Southwest Freeway frontage road, when a suspect driving a gray Dodge Charger crashed into a Toyota Prius driven by Isgandar Mustafev.
“The light was green, and I was going, but he hit me like this, a T-bone,” Mustafev said. “My car has big damage.”
Following the accident, the driver of the Charger fled on foot. He ran down the service road and confronted a driver in a red Hyundai at the intersection of Wilcrest Drive.
While attempting to steal the vehicle, he fired several shots, striking the driver.
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The victim managed to drive under the freeway and crashed into a pole at a Shell gas station.
Emergency responders transported the driver to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
After failing to carjack the Hyundai, the gunman approached a second vehicle, a gray Audi, and successfully carjacked it. The driver of the Audi escaped unharmed.
KPRC 2 obtained footage from a witness showing the man stealing the Audi in the middle of the street.
Several shell casings were found at the location where the shooting happened.
“This is a tragic situation,” Lt. Larry Crowson said. “You have someone just going home from work, and they end up shot and killed. It’s very traumatic for everyone involved.”
Authorities have not disclosed why the suspect fled the scene following the violent crash, but they are exploring a couple of theories, including him possibly having outstanding warrants or driving under the influence at the time of the collision.
The suspect abandoned the car he was driving, which investigators hope will provide insight into his motives.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
You can also reach out to Bryce directly by email at bnewberry@kprc.com
