HOUSTON — A grieving mother is asking for help finding the man she said killed her daughter in Acres Homes last month.
Sherniqua Danielle Banks, 34, was shot and killed on Sept. 7 in front of her young son.
"He was in the car, wide awake. Saw every single thing. He has to live with that," Lisa Callaway, Banks' mother, said.
Callaway said the toughest part is knowing that her daughter's killer is still free while her grandson had to celebrate his birthday without his mother.
"I hurt, I hurt, I hurt," Callaway said.
Houston police said Banks was driving along West Gulf Bank Road near West Montgomery Road around 2:45 a.m. when someone in another vehicle opened fire.
"Knowing there is a 3-year-old little boy in the back seat but you are still shooting, not one time, eight times," Callaway said.
Witnesses told investigators that the vehicle from which the shots were fired hit a curb and blew a tire before leaving the scene. Police found the vehicle and detained two people, but determined that the person of interest in the shooting was able to get away.
That person was identified as 30-year-old Dominique Manefee, who has a lengthy criminal history.
Callaway said that's another reason she's so frustrated with the justice system.
"They (the Houston Police Department) are not putting a full effort on it. When I give you a tip, I expect you to move on it," Callaway said. "I don’t want him on the street to do it to nobody else's child."
She wants investigators to do more.
"I want them to act like my child was an officer of the law," Callaway said. "Y'all need to do a better job."
HPD said it's working on the case. They said they're combing through evidence and interviewing witnesses. They said that building a case takes time and that they're following up on every lead they get.
Callaway wants anyone with information about Manefee to come forward.
"I am begging and pleading with everybody that knows him and his whereabouts. If you ever did the right thing before, don’t do it for me, do it for my grandson's sake," she said.
Police released a photo of Manefee and said they hope they get information that leads to an arrest in the case.