A northbound driver on I-45 near Rayford Road told authorities his vehicle had been struck by gunfire, and within minutes deputies had tracked down a suspect's truck, stopped it, and made an arrest. Montgomery County authorities say 58-year-old Calixto Villarreal Jr. is now facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting.
According to the FOX 26 Houston, the driver reported that his car was hit by gunfire while traveling north on I-45 near Rayford Road. The sheriff's office said one shot struck the victim's vehicle, though no injuries were reported.
Suspect Found Minutes After 911 Call
Authorities said they located the suspect's vehicle just minutes after receiving the 911 call, then stopped Villarreal and detained him. Deputies seized two guns from his truck as evidence, per the same report. It remains unclear what, if anything, preceded the confrontation on the highway, as officials have not released details about what led up to the alleged shooting.
The case has been assigned number 26A387658, and officials are asking anyone with information, including possible witnesses, to come forward. Tips can be directed to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit at 936-760-5876.
Not the First Roadway Shooting Reported in the Area
This is not the only shooting tied to a Montgomery County roadway near Rayford Road. A separate incident on SH 99 near Rayford Road, reported at about 12:30 a.m., turned deadly after a traffic crash, according to fox44news.com. In that case, preliminary information from the sheriff's office indicated one vehicle struck another, and when one of the drivers got out to check on the other car, multiple shots were fired.
The victim in that SH 99 shooting was identified as 49-year-old Pablo Miguel Angel, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators in that case, filed under case number 26A365480, asked witnesses and anyone with dash-cam footage from the area to come forward as well.
Both cases remain under investigation, and no additional details have been released about how or whether they might be connected. For now, Montgomery County authorities are continuing to lean on the public for leads as they work to piece together what happened on two separate stretches of highway near the same intersection.
