In a case that has nagged Fort Bend County investigators for years, officials today released surveillance video showing a pickup near the Richmond-area home of a sheriff’s deputy who was hit with two Molotov cocktail attacks in December 2019. Fort Bend Crime Stoppers is now dangling a $5,000 reward in front of anyone who can help crack the case, putting fresh heat on detectives to identify the person seen on camera.
According to Click2Houston, authorities publicly shared the footage this week and announced the reward at the same time. Investigators told the outlet they are banking on renewed public attention to finally shake loose new leads in a case that once left the deputy’s family under protective watch.
What the footage appears to show
The newly circulated clips show a pickup rolling up near the deputy’s driveway and a person getting out of the truck just before a parked car erupts in flames, according to ABC13. In its original coverage, ABC13 described the vehicle as a dark, four-door pickup with a ladder-style rack and noted that the surveillance video captures crucial minutes leading up to the second attack.
How the 2019 attacks unfolded
Investigators say the first incident unfolded on Dec. 23, 2019, when two incendiary devices were hurled at the front of the deputy’s house, briefly setting part of the facade on fire while people were inside. A few days later, around 3 a.m., a similar device was thrown at a vehicle parked in the driveway, and that car was destroyed by fire. No injuries were reported in either attack, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Officials Call It Targeted
Fort Bend Sheriff Troy Nehls has said he is convinced the arsons were aimed at the deputy because of the deputy’s investigative work, describing the attacks as “targeted” while officials comb through the officer’s past robbery and homicide cases. Nehls also confirmed that the deputy and the deputy’s family were placed under extra protection in the aftermath of the 2019 firebombings, according to ABC13.
How To Report Tips
Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers is urging anyone with information to call 281-342-TIPS (8477) or send an anonymous tip online. The Houston Chronicle reported that the reward for information leading to an arrest stands at $5,000. Neighbors told reporters they turned over their own home-camera recordings back in 2019, and officials are again asking residents to dig through any surveillance footage from late December 2019 and share relevant clips with investigators.
Legal Angle
Sheriff’s officials have not brought federal charges in the case, but they have publicly said that if the arsons are ultimately tied to one of the deputy’s investigations, the findings could trigger a wider federal review. That possibility was flagged for the public in 2019 as authorities worked the case, and Fox News previously reported similar comments from sheriff’s officials about potential expanded federal involvement if new evidence points in that direction.
