Southwest
Texas man captured after deputy's ambush shooting death following Little Caesars attack: sheriff
Texas authorities captured a person of interest sought in the ambush murder of a Houston-area deputy who was gunned down while searching for a suspect who investigators say pistol whipped a Little Caesars restaurant worker early Thursday morning.
“Our hearts are heavy. He was an amazing young man taken far too soon. He loved being a cop, and he leaves behind a tremendous void,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Thursday evening during a press conference.
Law enforcement in and around Harris County were on the hunt for Ronald “Ronnie” Palmer Jr., 44, in connection with the line of duty death of local Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda.
“We don’t know what transpired and are still trying to put the pieces together. Palmer has not yet been charged, but he has been taken into custody without incident. It’s been a very difficult day in our community,” Gonzalez continued.
TEXAS MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER DETECTIVE IS FATALLY AMBUSHED, SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS
Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda in uniform in front of a US flag in this portrait provided by the sheriff. Esqueda was shot and killed early Thursday and a manhunt is underway for a person of interest. (Harris County Sheriff)
The deputy was 28 years old and a five-year veteran of the force, Gonzalez wrote on X, adding that he was personally in the field as part of the manhunt.
Palmer is considered a person of interest in the shooting and is also wanted for an aggravated assault at the Little Caesars pizzeria on Wallisville Road in East Harris County.
During Thursday night’s update, Gonzalez said police are still investigating if there were other individuals involved.
An enraged customer at the pizza place allegedly pistol whipped a worker and fled. As authorities searched for the suspect in that case, Esqueda was ambushed while on the phone with another detective, authorities said Thursday.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office was “urgently” seeking information on Ronald “Ronnie” Palmer Jr., who authorities wanted on aggravated assault charges and is a person of interest in the murder of Deputy Fernando Esqueda. Authorities describe him as “heavy-set and tall.” He has tattoos on both arms and his hair styled in dreadlocks. The photo on the left shows him at a Little Caesars restaurant shortly before the murder Thursday. The image on the right was taken on bodycam during an encounter with deputies on July 8. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)
Backup arrived found and Esqueda’s vehicle riddled with bullet holes on the 13200 block of Italian Cypress Trail around 1 a.m. Thursday.
He had been shot multiple times.
SUSPECT KILLED AFTER STANDOFF FOLLOWING OHIO OFFICER’S DEATH
Ronnie Palmer has been identified as a person of interest in the murder and is wanted in connection with an assault. Authorities released this image earlier Thursday but later sent out newer photos that show him with long hair styled in dreadlocks. (Harris County Sheriff)
Esqueda was a member of “a very elite task force,” Chief Deputy Mike Lee told reporters.
“This group, every day, goes out and hunts down child rapists, homicide suspects, some of the most egregious criminals out there and that’s what they do every day for a living,” Lee said. “And he was very good at his job. Very well thought of.”
REMEMBERING POLICE OFFICERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON DUTY LAST YEAR
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez speaks to the media on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston, regarding the line-of-duty death of Deputy John Hampton Coddou. On Thursday, he announced the death of yet another deputy, Fernando Esqueda, and announced a manhunt for a person of interest in the case. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Fellow deputies rushed him to the hospital in a patrol vehicle in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed the state’s full support to local police as they seek the gunman.
“Whenever our law enforcement officers put on the badge, they are selflessly risking their lives,” he said in a statement. “Violence against law enforcement officers will never be tolerated in Texas.”
He said state troopers and special agents were assisting in the manhunt.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Lee said the 28-year-old detective was “apparently ambushed” after locating what he believed to be the vehicle belonging to an aggravated assault suspect. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
“Please join Cecilia and me in prayer for Deputy Esqueda’s family, loved ones, and the entire Harris County community,” he added.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on this investigation to contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). There is a $5,000 reward for information in the case.
“None of us are ever prepared for such an untimely death and our members need your prayers and support,” Gonzalez said. “Our thoughts are with his family as they come to terms with this horrible news.”
He vowed to bring the killer to justice.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett, Stepheny Price, and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Family of Brianna Aguilera sues over alcohol service ahead of death
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The family of Brianna Aguilera, the Texas A&M student who fell to her death from a high-rise apartment in November, is suing two organizations for allegedly overserving alcohol ahead of the 19-year-old’s death.
Attorney Tony Buzbee on Tuesday announced a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Travis County against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Economics and Business Association.
“It is illegal to serve minors any amount of alcohol in the State of Texas. It is reckless and irresponsible to grossly over-serve a group of minors at a University of Texas football tailgate to the point where those minors lose their physical faculties and ability to control themselves,” the lawsuit states.
Aguilera died when she fell from an Austin high-rise apartment following a Texas A&M vs. University of Texas football tailgate at around 1 a.m. Nov. 29, according to police.
POLICE SHOULD BE TAKING ‘CLOSER LOOK’ AT COLLEGE STUDENT’S DEATH AFTER MOTHER’S ALLEGATIONS: FORMER PROSECUTOR
An image provided by the family of the young Texas A&M student, Brianna Aguilera, found dead in Austin over the weekend. (GoFundMe)
A police investigation later determined Aguilera died by suicide despite her family’s claims that she was killed.
Brianna Aguilera was found dead in an apartment hours after attending a tailgate party. (Facebook/Brie Aguilera)
According to the filing, the alleged “egregious over-serving of minors” led to Aguilera’s death. Witnesses described her behavior over several hours as “shifting from upbeat to disoriented and ultimately grossly intoxicated,” the suit says.
Brianna Aguilera holds a sign congratulating her on her acceptance to Texas A&M. (Instagram/brie.aguilera)
TEXAS A&M STUDENT BRIANNA AGUILERA’S FALL DEATH SPARKS POLICE RESPONSE TO FAMILY’S EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS: REPORT
Buzbee said the lawsuit is also intended to support the ongoing investigation into the events of that night by allowing the firm to seek phone and text records, documents and data and to compel witness testimony.
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The lawsuit requests a jury trial.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Key red state could decide US gas prices as Venezuelan oil hits the market
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Nobody handles oil quite like Texas and a fresh supply of Venezuelan crude could soon be headed to the Lone Star State’s coast.
The first barrels of thick, tar-like crude could arrive as soon as next week at ports across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, where dense clusters of refineries are built and bred to process heavy oil.
The development follows President Donald Trump’s Tuesday evening announcement that Caracas will transfer up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., worth about $2.8 billion at current market prices.
WE’RE GOING TO LET THE OIL FLOW: ENERGY SECRETARY SAYS US WILL OVERSEE VENEZUELAN OIL SALES
Venezuelan children swimming near an oil tanker docked at a pier near the refinery of the state oil company PDVSA. (Jesus Vargas/picture alliance/Getty Images)
“The Gulf Coast concentrates most of our refining capacity, and those refineries were built or revamped over the years to process extra-heavy crude similar to what is produced in Venezuela,” explained Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS.
“From a market perspective, additional volumes of extra-heavy crude entering the U.S. refining system would be an extraordinarily positive development,” Brito said. “It would allow refiners to operate more efficiently, something they haven’t been able to do for years and could help keep gasoline and diesel prices at better levels because refiners would have access to cheaper crude and more optimal operations.”
‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE
He added that tankers could arrive within five to six days if they leave Venezuelan waters on Thursday.
Because Gulf Coast refineries supply a large share of the nation’s fuel, shifts in how efficiently they operate can ultimately ripple through to prices paid by U.S. consumers.
Texas oil refineries are poised to benefit from additional crude oil supplies. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The arrival of 15 to 25 oil tankers carrying up to 50 million barrels of crude is only a fraction of what Venezuela could ultimately supply.
With more than 300 billion barrels of proven reserves, it holds the world’s largest oil endowment — eclipsing long-standing energy heavyweights like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait.
Despite its vast reserves, U.S. sanctions have effectively blocked most Venezuelan crude from reaching the U.S. Gulf Coast, leaving Chevron — operating under a special authorization — as the sole exporter of limited volumes.
US NOW IN CONTROL OF VENEZUELA’S OIL RESERVES, THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD
A Chevron Corp. flag flies on the drilling floor of a Nabors Industries Ltd. drill rig in the Permian Basin near Midland, Texas, on March 1, 2018. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
That disruption has been felt most acutely in Texas, which anchors the nation’s refining hub and hosts several of the country’s largest heavy-crude refineries.
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A renewed flow of Venezuelan barrels could also intensify competition in the heavy-crude market, particularly between Venezuela and Canada, Brito said.
“You’re going to have fierce competition between Canada and Venezuela, which benefits American refiners and gives them more flexibility to potentially lower fuel prices,” he said, adding that he was speaking strictly from an oil-market perspective.
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Southwest
Security guard fatally shot outside Houston restaurant after confrontation with suspect
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A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. outside Connie’s Seafood Market Restaurant, the Houston Police Department said.
Police told reporters that the security guard, who was working for the restaurant, was standing in the parking lot when a fight broke out between him and another man, FOX26 Houston reported.
Police said the security guard was shot at least once. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
OFF-DUTY DEPUTY SHOT AND KILLED WHILE WORKING SECURITY JOB IN TEXAS, SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE
A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said. (Houston Police Department)
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the victim.
The suspect was last seen running away from the parking lot after the shooting.
The security guard was working for the restaurant at the time of the shooting. (Google Maps)
BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTER CONFESSED IN VIDEOS TO PLANNING ATTACK FOR LONG TIME, SHOWED NO REMORSE: DOJ
No details about the suspect or the circumstances that led to the altercation have been released as of Thursday morning.
Houston police were reviewing surveillance footage as they search for the shooting suspect. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle, File)
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Officials said investigators were reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses to get a description of the suspect.
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