HOUSTON – Houston Police Chief Troy Finner and homicide detectives were joined by family members Wednesday to make a plea to the public for additional information on the suspect or suspects involved in the fatal shooting of 5-year-old Khamaya Dior Donelson.
Finner announced that the reward for information on the suspects involved has been raised to $25,000 after Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta offered an additional $20,000 to Crime Stoppers’ $5,000 reward.
The mother of Arlene Alvarez, a 9-year-old girl who was shot and killed when her family’s vehicle was struck after a robbery at a southwest Houston Chase Bank ATM drive-thru, attended Wednesday’s press conference to support Khamaya’s family.
What happened
According to Assistant Chief C. Hatcher, officers responded to multiple reports of a shooting in the 13500 block of Northborough Drive near Rushcreek Drive in the Greenspoint area around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Finner, who became emotional, said the mother was out late because she had to close the restaurant she worked at and had just picked up her children from a 24-hour daycare. He said she wanted to get her children ice cream before heading home.
Around 12:51 a.m., police that a vehicle driven by the mother came to a stop at a stop sign when a silver four-door sedan with four suspects inside approached the vehicle.
One of the suspects leaned out of the rear driver’s side window and began firing multiple gunshots toward a food store, police said. Watters’ vehicle was caught in the crossfire, according to police. Khamaya was in the backseat of her mother’s vehicle with her 8-year-old brother when they were both struck by a single bullet.
Watters rushed both children to an area hospital where Khamaya later died. Her 8-year-old son survived after suffering a gunshot wound to the arm.
After further investigation, police said the mother’s vehicle was not the intended target.
During Wednesday’s press conference, a photo of the suspects’ vehicle was released in hopes someone will recognize it.
“I failed to protect my baby. As a mom, I have a duty to protect and serve my kids,” Watters said during the press conference.
Watters made a plea that someone knows something and to please come forward for her daughter.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call HPD Homicide at 713-306-3800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Khamaya’s family has started a GoFundMe account to help with her funeral expenses.
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