Suspect who fatally shot man in front of his 10-year-old daughter arrested, charged with capital murder

HOUSTON - A man has now been arrested and charged with capital murder after fatally shooting a man in west Houston in April. 

It happened just around 9:50 p.m. Easter Sunday outside a Dave and Busters off the Katy Freeway. 

For the last two months, Jackie Alcantara and her family have been trying to cope with losing her uncle, 37-year-old Miguel Vasquez.

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"It's been really hard, especially learning how to adapt to life without him. It's not the same. He was the life of the party," Alcantara said. 

Houston police say Vasquez and his 10-year-old daughter were walking to their car in the parking lot when a suspect tried to rob Vasquez at gunpoint, before killing him.

Surveillance video then captures the suspect getting away. 

"As we know, they didn't steal anything. The fact that you had the nerve to do that in front of his daughter noise -- she was right there," Alcantara said. 

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On Wednesday, investigators arrested 23-year-old Nicholas Dwayne Thomas and charged him with capital murder. 

Alcantara says her family members recognized the suspect. 

"My uncle actually recognizes him. He said that when he was in Dave and Busters, he was actually following them around and he recognized his face from the mug shot. I think they had already targeted him," Alcantara said. 

Alcantara said she’s happy there’s now justice for their family. She just hopes her uncle’s accused murderer, remains behind bars.  

"Criminals like this. They shouldn't even have an option to have bond because somebody could easily pay their bond and have these criminals out in the streets again," Alcantara said. 

According to Houston police, the murder rate is up 37% this year. So far in 2021, there have been 210 murders, compared to 153 this same time last year.