An angry Little Caesars customer allegedly pistol-whipped staff members after they placed the wrong order, then killed an elite police officer in what authorities are now calling a “senseless” crime.
Harris County Chief Deputy Mike Lee said officers received a call about an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars pizza shop in Houston, Texas, shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday night, with a suspect reportedly angry because his order was wrong.
The suspect, who has since been identified as 44-year-old Ronnie Palmer, began verbally assaulting the employee at the counter, officials said.
He then allegedly hit the employee with a pistol and then ran away.
The injured officer was later able to provide officers with a description of the suspect’s vehicle and its license plate. Officer Fernando Esqueda was able to retrieve this information.
Ronnie Palmer, 44, was arrested Thursday night after allegedly assaulting a Little Caesars employee and fatally shooting an elite officer
Officials say Palmer became enraged after Little Caesars employees misplaced his order
The 28-year-old officer, who was working overtime to protect residents after Hurricane Beryl, alerted his teammates that he believed he had seen the vehicle.
“During that phone call, our deputy was apparently ambushed,” Lee said at a news conference Thursday morning.
He said other detectives in the area rushed to his location and “observed his undercover vehicle with multiple firearms loaded inside.”
They also noticed that Esqueda had been shot several times and took him to the hospital in one of their patrol cars, but he 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 he saw Palmer’s vehicle when he was shot multiple times
Several homes and a vehicle across the street were also hit by gunfire, ABC 13 reports.
Fortunately, neighbors reported that the residents of the houses were not home at the time due to the ongoing power outage.
The shooting sparked a manhunt for Palmer, with even Texas Governor Greg Abbott offering a $10,000 reward for his capture.
SWAT teams later set up barriers at two locations in an attempt to apprehend the suspect, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on social media.
He was finally arrested late Thursday night for the attack on the Little Caesars employee and as a suspect in the murder of Esqueda, a five-year sheriff’s deputy.
Esqueda was a five-year veteran of the sheriff’s department and served on the Violent Person Task Force
Esqueda worked on the sheriff’s Violent Person Task Force, which Lee said tracks down child molesters, murder suspects and “some of the most heinous criminals out there.”
“He went after the absolute worst,” the deputy chief prosecutor said at Thursday’s news conference, saying there were “so many promises left unfulfilled.”
Sheriff Gonzalez also wrote on social media that Esqueda is “committed to protecting and serving the citizens of Harris County.
“Our prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of Deputy Sheriff Esqueda during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
“Deputy Esqueda’s dedication to duty and sacrifice will always be remembered.”
According to Terry Garza, who said she was his sergeant, he had previously worked as a proactive deputy in East Aldine.
She described Esqueda, second from right, as “one of the best officers I’ve ever had the pleasure of supervising” and “a wonderful officer with a heart of gold.”
Before joining the sheriff’s office, Esqueda was an East Aldine Pro Active Deputy, according to Terry Garza, who said she was his sergeant.
She described him in a Facebook post as “one of the best agents I have ever had the pleasure of mentoring” and “an amazing agent with a heart of gold.”
Garza said Esqueda once responded to a call saying the children had no food, so he and his partner went out to buy food and snacks so they could eat.
“Kids always wanted to have their picture taken with him because he was a role model for them and he always had a big smile on his face,” she said.
He’s worked so hard to keep the community safe.
‘Rest in peace young hero!!’