Photos released in deadly shooting of 15-year-old girl

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Police have released surveillance photos of three vehicles related to the Jan. 4 early morning shooting death of 15-year-old Victoria Cantu. Her body was found slumped over inside the rear passenger seat of a car parked outside a Whataburger restaurant building in northern Harris County.

"If anyone knows anything, please come forward," said Gregory Cantu, Victoria's father. "I laid my daughter to rest yesterday, now it's time for her justice to be served." He was too emotional to say much. On his printed t-shirt was a picture of his daughter.

Police say Victoria was in the backseat of her friend's red Acura. They were in the parking lot of Mambo Seafood Restaurant for what is known as 'Slab Sunday.'

"They gather together in large parking lots showing off their vehicles," said Sgt. Richard Rodriguez. "They do what's called swangin', which is driving from side to side.” 

The person who shot Victoria with an AK-47 is described only as a young Hispanic male among many other males in three separate vehicles who were seen traveling away from the parking lot on the North Freeway frontage road near Lockhaven Drive where homicide investigators believe she was initially wounded. One vehicle is described as a 2013-2014 silver Chevrolet Malibu with black paint damage to its right rear bumper. A second vehicle is described as a 2010-2013 gold Toyota Camry and the third vehicle as a 2005-2009 silver Ford Mustang. 

"What we would like is some help from the public in identifying these three vehicles," added Sgt. Rodriguez. "They run together.They were in a pack and by the sheer number and volume of people that were out there, we believe someone knows who these guys are."

The surveillance photos of the vehicles also show one with the shooting suspect standing outside a passenger window.

Houston Police Department officers and Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables arrived to the Whataburger parking lot at around 12:35 a.m. on Jan. 4 in response to the reported shooting. Homicide investigators believe that the vehicle that Victoria was riding in had almost struck a vehicle with one of suspects inside.

The suspects, described by police only as Hispanic males, entered three separate vehicles and chased the car that Victoria rode in through the parking lot.  A male passenger in the front seat of the silver Chevrolet Malibu hung out of the window and fired several gunshots, at least one of which struck Victoria. 

The driver of the car that Victoria was in then drove to the Whataburger parking lot on West Airtex Boulevard near the North Freeway where paramedics pronounced Victoria dead.  

“I just want justice for Victoria, that's it," said Gregory. "The hashtag Justice for Victoria has gone viral all across the U.S.”

Anyone with information about the identity of the robber is encouraged to contact the HPD Homicide Division by phone at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers of Houston by phone at 713-222-8477 (TIPS), online by visiting https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=610, by text message by sending TIP610 and the information to 274637 (CRIMES) or with the Houston Crime Stoppers in the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store and the Blackberry App World. Crime Stoppers is willing to pay up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the filing of felony charges or arrest of the suspect in this case. People who submit information to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous.