HOUSTON — Houston police have identified the person of interest who is wanted for questioning in connection to the shooting death of Houston Police Sgt. Sean Rios earlier this month.
Houston police said Jason Frank Vazquez, 24, is the person who was seen in surveillance video talking to Robert Soliz after the deadly shooting.
Soliz, 24, is charged with murder. Vazquez has not been charged with a crime at this time, police said.
Rios was shot to death on Nov. 9. According to the probable cause argument made by prosecutors last week, witnesses told police that Soliz and Rios got into a shootout at a business near the Taj Inn Suites just off the North Freeway at about 1:30 p.m. A prosecutor said Soliz was inside the shop shooting at Rios and Rios was firing back at Soliz.
After being wounded, Rios retreated to the motel, where he died.
After the shooting, according to the prosecutor, Soliz drove his car to a transmission shop that belonged to a family member. The prosecutor said he told his family member he was shot at on the freeway and left his car there. Prosecutors said Soliz left the shop with a man in a black Chevy truck, who police have now identified as Vazquez.
Prosecutors said video surveillance captured Soliz and Vazquez talking about the shooting. Prosecutors said the video recorded Soliz saying "my (expletive) jammed," and "he almost hit me."
Soliz was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Nov. 10.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything between the 3900 and 7900 blocks of the North Freeway, north of North Interstate Highway 610 and south of Gulf Bank Road, or know the whereabouts of Vazquez to contact the HPD Special Investigations Unit at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.