HOUSTON — A wild two-day kidnapping of two women ended with officers shooting and killing their kidnaper Tuesday afternoon near the Splendora area, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police were still investigating the scene as of Wednesday morning with evidence markers spread out in the gas station parking lot.
Meanwhile, authorities said both women were thankfully unharmed in the traumatizing incident.
What happened?
Police said the kidnapping incident began Monday when the 52-year-old suspect held his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. He managed to get away after that.
On Tuesday, he then reportedly went to his ex-girlfriend's job on Benmar Drive near City View Place and kidnapped her coworker, according to HPD.
“He wanted to talk to his ex-girlfriend and said, 'I have your co-worker,' in essence, as a hostage, and the female complainant, the ex-girlfriend, made a plan to meet and exchange herself so that her co-worker could go free," HPD Executive Chief Matt Slinkard said.
Once the ex-girlfriend met with the suspect, she swapped places with her coworker and the suspect made her drive his vehicle along Highway 59 North, HPD said. Police said they spent several hours trying to locate the suspect's vehicle in hopes of finding the kidnapped ex-girlfriend.
During the drive, she made the brave decision to ask the suspect to stop and use the bathroom at a gas station near Splendora, hoping police would catch up to them.
It worked as police said they located the suspect's vehicle at a Shell gas station and were able to surround his car before he could drive out of the parking lot.
HPD said he ignored verbal commands and reached inside his car for a gun. That's when four officers shot at him, authorities said.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said a gun was found near his body.
The four officers who opened fire will be placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, which is standard procedure within HPD. Body camera footage of this shooting will be released within 30 days, which is also standard HPD policy.