HOUSTON — A Crime Stoppers tip led to the arrest of Tavores Dewayne Henderson, a fugitive who is now charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Nassau Bay Police Sgt. Kaila Sullivan.
Henderson's mother and her boyfriend have both been charged with hindering apprehension in connection with the case.
Tiffany Henderson and Geoffrey Wheeler were each charged, and according to the county's website, both were in custody as of Thursday night. Wheeler has since bonded out of jail.
Authorities said after Henderson struck Sullivan with his vehicle on Tuesday night, he ditched the Jeep nearby and was picked up by his mother and her boyfriend, who took him to a hotel where he stayed for a few hours in efforts to avoid arrest.
The manager of the Sterling Inn on the South Loop near Kirby Drive said Henderson arrived at the hotel with two other men and a woman.
The manager said that even though they paid to stay at the hotel for two days, they checked into the room around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday and left a few hours later, around 3:30 a.m. He said they never returned. The manager said they arrived in a red car and left in a white Cadillac.
Gonzalez said shortly after the incident in Nassau Bay, Henderson's mother lied to authorities when they asked if she knew her son's whereabouts. Gonzalez said Henderson's mother initially said she didn't know who Henderson was at all.
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Surveillance video from the hotel proved to be a crucial piece of evidence that helped authorities piece together what actually happened.
"It showed less than 30 minutes before she made that statement to police that she had dropped him off at the hotel. So she absolutely knew where he was. She helped him escape as did her boyfriend. They both lied to the police afterward. That’s the definition of the hindering charge," Harris County Assistant District Attorney Sean Teare said.