HOUSTON – Just over two weeks after a Houston-area father was shot to death in his car while his young daughter was in the back seat, a suspect has now been charged with the murder.
Carlos Chavez, 28, was officially charged with felony murder Thursday and taken into custody Friday evening, records show. Police used surveillance video and license plate readers to connect him to the shooting that killed 23-year-old Jadrian Edwards.
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OUR FIRST REPORT: Houston-area father shot to death with baby daughter in car
The shooting happened as Edwards was en route to have photos taken with his daughter.
The shooting took place on Nov. 7 in the Alief area of southwest Houston. Gunfire began on Beechnut St. west of Beltway 8 and Edwards vehicle came to stop in a Wells Fargo parking lot, where he was found dead behind the wheel.
His front passenger had to be rushed to the hospital with injuries, and according to records, was later arrested on unrelated charges.
Police initially said road rage may have been a motive in Edwards’ killing but court documents do not reveal a specific motive.
However, records indicate Chavez was out on bond for a 2023 road rage shooting that left a driver injured.
Prosecutors have now filed for him to be held without bond.
During the November shooting, a woman in the back seat of Edwards’ car grabbed his baby daughter as the bullets started flying. The baby was not hurt.
During the investigation, officers obtained security footage, including from a METRO bus, showing both involved vehicles—Edwards’ white Ford Crown Victoria and the suspect’s silver Toyota RAV-4—traveling at around the same speed. Edwards’ passenger’s arm is seen extended out of the car window for an unknown reason, and then the driver of the RAV-4 pulls out a gun and starts shooting, according to records. The roommate is seen ducking at the sight of gunfire.
Running the license plate number on the RAV-4 revealed its owner to be Chavez, whose ankle monitor data also confirmed that he was at the scene of the shooting.
Chavez is scheduled to make his first district court appearance on Monday morning.