HARRIS COUNTY, TX — A 17-year-old has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a 34-year-old man during a robbery in north Harris County, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Investigators identified the suspect Friday as Anthony Castro. Harris County sheriff’s deputies said Castro was booked into the Harris County Jail after being tied to the killing of Victor Gonzalez.
The case began with a 911 call on Sunday afternoon, when Gonzalez reported that he had been robbed at gunpoint. Deputies said the robbery happened after he arranged to meet someone to sell property.
How the confrontation unfolded after the property sale meeting
Authorities said the meeting turned violent during the transaction. Investigators believe the victim was robbed at gunpoint while trying to complete the sale, then the suspects fled in a vehicle.
Deputies said Gonzalez got into his own car and followed them while staying in contact with dispatchers. He described the direction the suspects were traveling before telling dispatchers that he had been shot.
The sequence suggests the confrontation was brief but chaotic, with the victim trying to keep police updated even after the robbery had already begun. Deputies have not said how many suspects were involved or what led to the gunfire.
Victim identified as Victor Gonzalez, 34
Authorities identified the man who died as Victor Gonzalez, 34. He was pronounced dead in the 600 block of John Albers Road, officials said.
The address places the death scene in north Harris County, where deputies responded after the shooting and the 911 call. Officials have not released additional details about the location of the meeting or the property Gonzalez had planned to sell.
For investigators, the victim’s calls to 911 and his updates on the suspects’ route appear to have been key pieces of the initial timeline. The sheriff’s office has not said whether any other evidence was recovered at the scene.
Sheriff's office links the teen to the homicide charge
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced the charge and the suspect’s identification. The sheriff’s office said the teen was accused in the shooting death and that the case is being handled as a capital murder investigation.
In Texas, capital murder charges are reserved for the most serious homicide cases, including killings tied to other felonies such as robbery. Authorities have not publicly outlined what evidence led them to charge Castro in this case.
The sheriff’s office did not say whether the suspect was taken into custody at the scene or later elsewhere. The only confirmed booking detail is that Castro was placed in the Harris County Jail.
Robbery cases can turn deadly when sales meetups go wrong
The killing adds to a pattern law enforcement often warns about: planned exchanges that turn into robberies when strangers meet to trade property or money. In this case, deputies said the victim had arranged the meeting to sell property, which investigators believe made him vulnerable to an armed robbery.
Police have not described the property involved, and no information has been released about whether the victim knew the suspect before the meeting. The sheriff’s office also has not said whether the vehicle used by the suspects has been found.
For residents, the case is another reminder to use caution when meeting unknown buyers or sellers, especially in isolated areas or when large sums of money or valuable items are involved. Deputies continue to piece together the final moments before the shooting.
