HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities are still searching for the driver accused of hitting and killing a 68-year-old woman during a police chase in southeast Houston.
According to court documents, the victim has been identified as 68-year-old Sharon Griffin. Her daughter told that she and her mother were very close and lived together.
The Houston Police Department has charged 30-year-old Jacolby Pendleton with murder in connection with Thursday night’s fatal crash. Pendleton is also among seven suspects recently arrested in shootings across southeast Houston.
Police reported that the incident began when officers spotted Pendleton, a known felony suspect with warrants for aggravated assault, engaging in organized crime, and possession of a controlled substance. At about 8:20 p.m., they attempted to pull him over, but he refused to stop, leading them on a chase near the I-610 South Loop interchange with SH-288.
During the pursuit, Pendleton reportedly ignored stop signs and red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road. Griffin’s daughter expressed that she didn’t believe police should have pursued the suspect through a residential neighborhood.
The chase ended when Pendleton crashed into a dumpster near Rebecca Street and Tierwester and fled the scene. Police then discovered that the woman had been hit by the suspect’s car during the crash. Officers attempted CPR and called for paramedics, but Griffin was pronounced dead at the scene.
