An angry Little Caesars customer allegedly pistol-whipped staff members after they botched his order and then killed an elite police officer in what authorities are now calling a “senseless” crime.
Harris County Chief Deputy Mike Lee said deputies received a call shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday night regarding an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars pizza restaurant in Houston, Texas, where a suspect allegedly became upset because his order was wrong.
The suspect, later identified as 44-year-old Ronnie Palmer, began verbally abusing the counter clerk, authorities say.
He then allegedly pistol-whipped the employee before fleeing the scene.
The injured employee was later able to provide officers with a description of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate, which Officer Fernando Esqueda was able to trace.
Ronnie Palmer, 44, was arrested Thursday night after allegedly attacking a Little Caesars employee and fatally shooting an officer.
Officials say Palmer became angry after Little Caesars employees messed up his order.
The 28-year-old officer, who was working overtime to keep residents safe after Hurricane Beryl, later notified members of his team that he thought he had seen the vehicle.
“During that phone conversation, our aide was apparently ambushed,” Lee said at a news conference Thursday morning.
He said other detectives in the area rushed to his location and “saw his undercover vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds in it.”
They also noticed that Esqueda was shot several times and was rushed to the hospital in one of their patrol cars, but was later pronounced dead.
One of the first officers to arrive at Esqueda’s location was his own sister, who “pulled him out of the car.” Another sister told ABC 13.
Deputy Fernando Esqueda, 28, told his colleagues that he saw Palmer’s vehicle being shot multiple times.
Several homes and a vehicle across the street were also hit by gunfire, ABC 13 reports.
Fortunately, neighbors said the people living in the homes were not there at the time due to some ongoing power outages.
The shooting sparked a manhunt for Palmer, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott even announcing a $10,000 reward for his arrest.
SWAT teams later set up barriers at two locations in an effort to capture the suspect, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on social media.
He was finally taken into custody Thursday night for the assault of the Little Caesars employee and as a person of interest in the capital murder of Esqueda, who was a five-year veteran of the sheriff’s department.
Esqueda was a five-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, working on the Violent Persons Task Force.
Esqueda had worked on the sheriff’s department’s Violent Persons Task Force, which Lee said pursues child rapists, murder suspects and “some of the most heinous criminals out there.”
“He went after the worst of the worst,” the deputy chief said at Thursday’s news conference, adding that there were “so many unfulfilled promises.”
Sheriff Gonzalez also wrote on social media that Esqueda “was dedicated to protecting and serving the residents of Harris County.”
“We are praying with Rep. Esqueda’s family, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
‘Deputy Esqueda’s commitment to duty and sacrifice will always be remembered.’
She had previously worked as an East Aldine proactive officer, according to Terry Garza, who said she was his sergeant.
She described Esqueda, second from right, as “one of the best officers I’ve ever had to supervise” and “an incredible patrolman with a heart of gold.”
Before joining the sheriff’s office, Esqueda was an East Aldine proactive deputy, according to Terry Garza, who said she was his sergeant.
She described him in a Facebook post as “one of the best officers I’ve ever had to supervise” and “an amazing patrolman with a heart of gold.”
Garza said Esqueda once responded to a call where the children did not have food, and he and his partner went out to buy food and snacks so they could eat.
“Kids always wanted to take pictures with him because he was a role model for them and always had a big smile on his face,” she said.
‘He worked very hard to keep the community safe.
‘Rest in peace young hero!’