Houston 17-year-old arrested, charged in murder of 14-year-old's shooting death
HOUSTON - The suspect wanted in the death of a 14-year-old in Houston has been taken into custody, nearly six months after the shooting, the Houston Police Department announced.
Two suspects, 17-year-old male Joshua Garcia and a 16-year-old female, has been charged in the murder of Abraham Choukair who was found dead at 8800 Hammerly Boulevard.
Hammerly Boulevard shooting details
The backstory:
Houston police responded to an apartment complex at 8800 Hammerly Boulevard around 12:45 p.m. and found Choukair unresponsive in the driver's seat of a vehicle with gunshot wounds, officials say.
Investigators report Choukair was last seen in the parking lot with a female who was being followed by a male.
According to police, the suspect was initially described as a Hispanic male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue pants, black sandals, and a black and white Nike backpack. The male was allegedly seen running with the female suspect.
What we know:
Choukair was pronounced dead by Houston Fire Department paramedics on July 20, 2024.
Garcia was identified and charged with murder on Sept. 5, 2024. He had been on the run ever since. He was taken into custody on Jan. 14 by the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
A 16-year-old female was taken into custody on Oct. 15, 2024, without incident. She was charged with capital murder and referred to Harris County Juvenile Probation.
What they're saying:
Choukair spoke with FOX 26 last year regarding the tragic shooting.
"Guns were made for people to protect themselves, not to go and kill innocent people," said Abraham's cousin, Rola Choukair. "My cousin is an innocent. He never did anything in his life. 14-years-old and he's gone now."
"He was approached by a female, she was talking to him," Rola said. "My cousin was trying to run away, but I guess he passed away right away, and he crashed through the fence."
The Source: FOX 26 previously reported on the shooting and obtained information from the press release shared by the Houston Police Department on Jan. 14.