Authorities are turning up the heat in the hunt for a Houston body shop worker accused of shooting two colleagues, one fatally, during a dispute last December. The fugitive, identified as 30-year-old Roberto Madrigal, allegedly opened fire at his place of employment in the 15000 block of Lee Road, leading to the tragic outcome. A cash reward is now on the line, as Crime Stoppers of Houston and the local police department are offering $5,000 for information leading to Madrigal's capture, as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
On the night of December 27, 2023, chaos ensued when Madrigal reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation with his co-workers, which escalated into a double shooting. One of the victims was pronounced dead on January 3, while the second is recovering from his injuries. Madrigal, described as a Hispanic male with distinctive tattoos on his upper left arm, short black hair, and a goatee, fled the scene and has been eluding authorities ever since. He was last noted to be around 5'08" and 140 lbs., with brown eyes.
Madrigal now faces charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as filed in the 180th State District Court. "The detection and subsequent accusation of Madrigal's involvement in the heinous act came after meticulous investigation," relayed a news release from the City of Houston, quoted by Hoodline. The victim who lost his life has been identified as 33-year-old Jahmar Sampson, with the other victim's name withheld due to privacy reasons and ongoing recovery.
In an effort to expedite this high-priority manhunt, Detective J. Brown of the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division is appealing directly to the public. "Thereafter, the local District Attorney's office was promptly notified, leading to the formal pressing of charges," Brown stated in the same news release. Anyone with information about Madrigal's whereabouts or other relevant case details is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers, where they can remain anonymous. No detail is considered too small in piece together how a day of work turned into a scene of violence and loss.
