Darren Almendarez Wiki

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Who is Darren Almendarez ?

An off-duty Texas officer was shot and killed after leaving a Houston grocery store with his wife Thursday night and discovering armed men trying to steal the catalytic converter from the couple’s truck.

The deadly shooting, which also left two of the three suspects injured, took place in front of Joe V’s Smart Shop on the 2900 block of FM 1960 at 8:40 p.m.

A police officer stops a man who looks like a deceased son and asks him to get out of the car after taking a closer look
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Houston County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Deputy Darren Almendarez, 51, and his wife were shopping for groceries to prepare for a cookout to celebrate his sister’s birthday on Friday when it erupted. the violence.

Almendarez’s wife noticed a trio of suspects trying to remove the catalytic converter, an exhaust emission control device made of precious metals, from their parked vehicle.

Gonzalez told his wife to run while he confronted the robbers, one of whom pulled out a gun and opened fire, fatally shooting the officer.

“He told his wife to run, to get out of harm’s way while putting himself in harm’s way to protect the rest of the community and try to stop a crime,” the sheriff said during a news conference.

Despite being mortally wounded, Almendarez, a 23-year veteran of the force, was able to return fire, wounding two of the men. The third suspect fled the scene and remained at large as of Friday, reported ABC13.

Suspect

The injured suspects made their way to a hospital, where one was listed in critical condition and the other in stable condition.

Almendarez was rushed to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

‘On a personal level and as a sheriff, that’s evil. We have evil individuals out there,’ Gonzalez said of the shooting.

He added: ‘We lost another hero in our community. We are tired of crime in this community,’ reported Fox26.

Gonzalez said Almendarez was a “warrior” and a “survivor” who worked low-paying jobs in the fast food industry and experienced homelessness as a young man, before embarking on a successful career in law enforcement. Click2Houston reported.

Almendarez was assigned to the sheriff’s office auto theft division. He is survived by his wife and children.

Gonzalez said Almendarez spent the last hours before his brutal death cleaning the house in preparation for his sister’s birthday party that was planned for Friday, according to KHOU11.

“He was very happy,” the sheriff added.

Family and friends have been expressing their condolences and sharing their memories of the fallen deputy on Facebook.

“Whenever and wherever he was, he emanated a special light that illuminated even the darkest and most dangerous places,” wrote Rex Evans.

Statement

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a statement Friday, denouncing the “unacceptable” act of violence against a law enforcement officer.

“It’s a terrible day when a family trip to a grocery store ends in violence and loss of life,” he said. ‘Deputy Almendarez will be remembered as a faithful public servant who died while protecting his wife.

Governor Greg Abbott promised to provide all the resources necessary to bring those responsible for Almendarez’s death to justice.

“Representative 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,” said the Republican governor.

Darren Almendarez Quick and Facts

• Houston County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Almendarez, 51, was shot and killed in front of his wife, whom he saved, after stopping a theft in progress
• Officials say Almendarez and his wife walked out of a grocery store and saw three men trying to steal catalytic converter from their truck 
• Almendarez, a 23-year veteran assigned to auto theft division, told his wife to run while he confronted suspects 
• One of the perpetrators pulled out a gun and shot deputy, who returned fire, injuring two of three suspects 
• Two injured suspects are currently in the hospital, while the third is at large