HOUSTON – A second person has now been charged for their alleged involvement in the deadly shooting of Deputy Fernando Esqueda last week.
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According to court documents, 26-year-old Dremone Eugene Francis has been charged with capital murder, although court documents show that he may not have technically been the one to pull the trigger.
Here’s what happened
Last week, 28-year-old Deputy Fernando Esqueda was patrolling around northeast Harris County at about 10 p.m. Authorities said Esqueda and other officers responded to the call of a man who had just pistol-whipped a Little Ceasers’ employee on Wallisville Road.
SEE ALSO: ‘It’s terrible’: Manhunt ends in arrest after Harris County deputy’s ambush-style killing
After arriving at the scene, officers were made aware that the man, later identified as 44-year-old Ronnie Palmer, went into the restaurant to pick up a pizza but was upset because the order was incorrect. Authorities say that Palmer drove to another location, on Italian Cypress Trail, and Esqueda, who was working undercover, trailed him.
At some point on the way to the second location, new court documents show that the second suspect, Francis, allegedly had a conversation with Palmer about what had happened at the Little Caesars. After the Little Caesers’ incident, Francis admitted to authorities that he and Palmer noticed someone in a light-colored truck was watching them.
Francis said that Palmer then reportedly started shooting numerous times into the truck Esqueda was driving.
The document went on to say that Palmer handed the guns to Francis after the shooting and told him to get rid of them before fleeing the scene.
Francis said that he complied and fled the scene in a gray Ford Fusion. Investigation showed that within hours of the shooting, Francis was texting people from his cell phone in an attempt to get rid of a ‘hot Draco’.
- According to a Google search, the Draco, or Draco Pistol, is a semi-automatic pistol designed in Romania that is often mentioned in rap songs. The Draco’s design is based on the AK-47, and it’s chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. -
Officials on the scene were able to locate used casings from two different firearms. As of this writing, it is unclear if Francis actually sold the guns or where they ended up.
Francis was charged with capital murder and is currently in custody with no bail.