The suspect who allegedly shot and killed Richard Houston, a Mesquite police officer, outside an Albertsons on Friday, December 3, has been identified.
Mesquite police said Jamie Jaramillo, 37, of Balch Springs, is accused of fatally shooting Officer Richard Houston last week. Jaramillo now faces multiple charges, including capital murder of a police officer.
Houston was responding to a disturbance involving Jaramillo in the grocery store’s parking lot on South Beltline Road. The officer was shot twice and taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment. He passed away Friday afternoon.
Jaramillo was also shot once, though it is unclear if Houston fired the shot or if it came from the suspect’s own weapon. He was taken to the hospital and remains listed in critical but stable condition. The accused has not yet been jailed due to his current hospitalization.
Officials have not released Jaramillo’s photo, nor any other information regarding the suspect, though he appears to have no previous criminal record.
Police also said on Monday that Jaramillo’s wife, Juventina Vazsques Bences, 43, was arrested Saturday. She was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. However, the charge is filed in connection with the initial disturbance call that Houston was responding to, not his death.
Jail records show that Vazques Bences is an unlawful migrant and has been placed under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold.
Police have not released any further details about the disturbance call or what initiated the exchange of gunfire between the suspect and officer. The investigation is still ongoing at this time, and more information is expected to be released this week.
Officer Richard Houston was a twenty-one-year veteran of the Mesquite Police Department. He earned numerous accolades for his service, including two life-saving awards and forty-eight letters of commendation.
Quincy Chambers, 21, told Fox News that he owes his future in law enforcement to Houston. “He was one of the good guys,” Chambers said.
A funeral service will be held for the fallen officer at Lakepoint Church in Rockwall on Thursday, December 9. Police say the public is welcome to pay their respects.
