Post by Scumhunter on Sept 15, 2019 1:34:03 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: Houston Chronicle website)
From The Houston Chronicle:
Houston police are searching for a teenager accused of fatally shooting his friend inside a hotel, then dumping him at a freestanding ER earlier this month.
Gabriel Jesus Rangel, 17, was with Angel Hernandez-Martinez, 17, and three others inside a second-story room at the Red Roof Inn along the Northwest Freeway near Hollister on March 13.
Witnesses said Rangel was playing with a revolver handgun, thinking it wasn't loaded, according to court documents. Around 10:30 a.m., Rangel allegedly fired the gun, which struck Hernandez-Martinez in the chest, police said.
Witnesses inside the room told homicide detectives that the gunfire was an accident, according to court documents.
Surveillance video from inside the hotel showed Rangel and the three others load Hernandez-Martinez into a car and speed off, according to Houston Police Department Homicide Detective Ken Fregia.
Minutes later, the four dumped Hernandez-Martinez in the emergency room of the free-standing Signature Care Emergency Center at the Katy Freeway and Wirt Road, police said. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police said that after Rangel and the others dumped Hernandez-Martinez, they drove to an apartment complex in the 8000 block of Raven Wood Circle and stashed the gun. Offices later recovered the weapon, according to court documents.
On March 14, detectives filed a felony manslaughter charge against Rangel, who also goes by Gabriel Calixto. He is currently on the run.
Anyone with information about Rangel's whereabouts is urged to call HPD's Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
m.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/HPD-Teenager-wanted-after-accidentally-13720405.php
Thoughts? As of this posting date (September 15th, 2019), Rangel is still listed as "not in custody" when searching Harris County's online records. Also his date of birth is listed as 12/21/2001 so he's still also only 17 years old as of the aforementioned posting date: www.hcdistrictclerk.com/edocs/public/CaseDetails.aspx?Get=IOrhqBDLbBk3yiP9rUGO38FEc4nohB3HHqrbf3tMm8OQ11CZS8avy68XymBRjcRzcZ+vbDQDH9nJA+Ov76zTcs0aME/3tUic875RkmSl7GTjZGhBEiznTIv7fmohEakjU/Owy5qXPOC1MGKQQKFpcO0EswWCxLPajdwRCqNng2D4EpytcMhrdQ==
In any case, I don't want to sound like I'm getting soft here, but part of me sympathizes with the fact that- if Gabriel's friends are telling the truth that this was only an accident- that Rangel's not a cold-blooded killer but rather an idiotic teenager. (But still criminally negligent if convicted)
At the same time, rather than take responsibility, Rangel dumped his friend who was also a young teenager with his whole life ahead of him, in the ER, and then fled. So if anyone were to say he's just a kid who made a mistake, I'd counter that Angel was just a kid as well, and had his life taken from his friend's alleged negligence.
My advice to Rangel would be to man up and turn himself in and perhaps a judge would have some sympathy if he's proven guilty but shows contrition. However, the longer he stays on the run, the less likely that is.
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