HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The third suspect who has been sought after in the shooting death of Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy Darren Almendarez has been arrested, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The suspect has been identified as 17-year-old Fredrick Tardy, the sheriff said. He has been charged with capital murder.
Details of his arrest are unknown at this time. A mugshot of Tardy has not been released.
Two other men, Joshua Stewart, 23, and Fredarius Clark, 19, have already been charged with capital murder in connection to this shooting.
Investigators said Deputy Almendarez died after he was wounded during a shootout with the men who he confronted Thursday night.
According to investigators, the incident happened just after 8:30 p.m. outside of the Joe V’s grocery store in the 2900 block of FM 1960 in north Harris County. Almendarez and his wife were shopping at the store.
As the couple left the store, the deputy spotted a black, four-door, Nissan Altima backed up to his pickup truck and two men underneath the vehicle. Investigators said Deputy Almendarez told his wife to seek safety as he approached the vehicle.
That is when the men opened fire on the deputy, the sheriff’s office said. Deputy Almendarez was able to return fire, wounding two of the men.
The suspects sped off from the parking lot after being wounded, investigators said.
Deputy Almendarez was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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The sheriff’s office said Stewart and Clark arrived at the same hospital in the suspect vehicle a short time later. Both men had gunshot wounds and were still in the hospital Friday.
Anyone with information about the murder of Deputy Almendarez is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.