HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old Harris County sheriff’s deputy has been apprehended.
Ronnie Palmer, 44, was arrested on Ghita Lane off C.E. King Parkway in the Bavaria neighborhood of northeast Harris County on Thursday evening, according to sources who spoke with . Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later confirmed Palmer’s arrest.
Palmer has been identified as a person of interest in the murder of Deputy Fernando Esqueda, but has not yet been formally charged with the crime.
Investigators stated that Palmer was last seen allegedly assaulting a pizza worker at the Little Caesars on Wallisville Road in northeast Harris County on Wednesday evening. Following this incident, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $10,000 reward for Palmer’s arrest.
Deputy Esqueda, a five-year veteran with the department’s Violent Person Task Force, was dedicated to protecting and serving the residents of Harris County, Gonzalez wrote on social media.
“We mourn the loss of Deputy Fernando Esqueda, who was tragically shot while protecting our community,” Gonzalez said. “We pray with Deputy Esqueda’s family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. His commitment to duty and his sacrifice will always be remembered.”
The events leading to the deputy’s death began with a call at about 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday regarding an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars Pizza on Wallisville Road. The suspect, who was upset over an incorrect order, verbally assaulted the clerk, pulled out a gun, and pistol-whipped the employee before fleeing. The employee provided detectives with a description of the suspect’s vehicle, including the license plate, which was tracked to the 13200 block of Italian Cypress Trail using the county’s Flock camera system.
Deputy Esqueda responded to the scene and notified his team members that he had spotted the suspected vehicle. During a phone conversation, Esqueda was ambushed, and his undercover vehicle was struck multiple times by gunfire. Despite the severity of his injuries, Esqueda was rushed to the hospital in a patrol vehicle, where he later died.
In addition to Esqueda’s vehicle, several houses and another vehicle were hit by gunfire. A resident, Walter Trappio, said he returned from a hotel to find significant law enforcement presence and was informed that his house had been shot during the incident. Trappio expressed gratitude for not being home at the time, saying, “If I was in there last night, who knows what could have happened?”
Esqueda was a member of the Violent Person Task Force, a group that pursues some of the most dangerous criminals, including child rapists and homicide suspects.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
Esqueda’s family, who shared their grief and pride in his service. His sister, Brenda Esqueda, recalled how she often prayed it wouldn’t be one of her family members when hearing news of such incidents. She revealed that her sister, who also works undercover, was one of the first on the scene after Fernando was shot. Brenda remembered her brother as a hero and a loving, kind person who brought joy and energy to those around him.
