Incident at 3600 West Sam Houston Parkway South June 24, 2007 - Houston police are investigating an incident in which shots were fired at an off-duty Harris County Sheriff’s deputy at 3600 West Sam Houston Parkway South about 1:15 a.m. today (June 24). The deputy, E. Toquica, was not injured. Following that incident, Houston police officers arrested three suspects in a stolen vehicle who led them on a pursuit that ended in the 5900 block of Schumacher about 2:40 a.m. Investigators are trying to determine whether any one or all of the suspects was involved in the shooting at the deputy. HPD Homicide Division Sergeants M. McStravick, J. McGalin and Officers T. Andrade and R. Chappell reported: Off-duty Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy E. Toquica was working an extra job and patrolling the parking lot at the Tinseltown movie theaters when he saw a suspicious suspect possibly attempting to break into a vehicle. When the deputy got out of his vehicle to investigate, the suspect fired twice at the deputy. The suspect then jumped into a vehicle and fled. The deputy notified an HPD sergeant working at the theaters and the sergeant broadcast a vehicle description over his police radio. A short time later, the sergeant heard there was a vehicle pursuit involving the same possible suspects who fled the theaters’ parking lot. Three suspects driving in a stolen vehicle were arrested following that pursuit. One of the three suspects, Antonio Mayoga Wattell (b/m, DOB 5-7-89), pointed a gun at a Houston police officer and was taken into custody without further incident. Charges of aggravated assault on a police officer are pending against him for those actions. Two other suspects in the stolen vehicle also face charges. One of them, a juvenile male, will be referred to Harris County Juvenile Probation authorities on a charge of felony evading in a vehicle. The other suspect, Frank Eli Cardoza (b/m, DOB 3-10-89), was arrested for outstanding warrants and is being questioned by investigators. The investigation is ongoing with no charges filed in the incident at 3600 West Sam Houston Parkway South at this time. As is customary when a law enforcement officer is shot at in the city limits, the incident is being investigated by the HPD Homicide Division. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. JFC 6-24-07 For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200. |