San Jacinto County News

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By Tony Farkas
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WILLIS — After a day on the run, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office has the suspect wanted in connection with the murder of a Coldspring teenager in custody.

Sheriff Greg Capers said Joshua Escobar, 19, turned himself into the Sheriff’s Office on Saturday evening, and was charged with murder. He currently is being held on a $1 million bond.

Capers said the department began the search for Escobar Friday afternoon in connection with the death of Sean Velasquez, 19, was shot twice sometime Friday afternoon at a residence in the 100 block of Williamson Lane in the Willis area of San Jacinto County.

Authorities were notified around 12:30 p.m. Friday, and San Jacinto County deputies and investigators immediately responded to the scene. A deputy assigned to the Special Operations Division was first on scene and entered the residence.

Reports indicate the deputy located the victim lying flat on a bed in the bedroom with a large amount of blood present, and found there was no pulse and the victim was not breathing.

The deputy found at least two gunshot wounds on the victim.

Capers said that he, other deputies and investigators from the Criminal Investigations Division arrived and began interviewing the female who reported the crime, who later was transported to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning and forensic analysis.

The San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office assisted the Criminal Investigation Division and Special Operations Division with the investigation.

“It is believed this is an isolated incident resulting from a dating relationship-related altercation between two males and a female,” Capers said. “One of the males is suspected to be an ex-boyfriend and the deceased is the current boyfriend. The female informed deputies the ex-boyfriend was the shooter, and left the scene in a gray passenger car headed towards the Cypress area in Harris County.”

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By Tony Farkas

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WILLIS — After a day on the run, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office has the suspect wanted in connection with the murder of a Coldspring teenager in custody.

Sheriff Greg Capers said Joshua Escobar, 19, turned himself into the Sheriff’s Office on Saturday evening, and was charged with murder. He currently is being held on a $1 million bond.

Capers said the department began the search for Escobar Friday afternoon in connection with the death of Sean Velasquez, 19, was shot twice sometime Friday afternoon at a residence in the 100 block of Williamson Lane in the Willis area of San Jacinto County.

Authorities were notified around 12:30 p.m. Friday, and San Jacinto County deputies and investigators immediately responded to the scene. A deputy assigned to the Special Operations Division was first on scene and entered the residence.

Reports indicate the deputy located the victim lying flat on a bed in the bedroom with a large amount of blood present, and found there was no pulse and the victim was not breathing.

The deputy found at least two gunshot wounds on the victim.

Capers said that he, other deputies and investigators from the Criminal Investigations Division arrived and began interviewing the female who reported the crime, who later was transported to the Sheriff's Office for questioning and forensic analysis.

The San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office assisted the Criminal Investigation Division and Special Operations Division with the investigation.

“It is believed this is an isolated incident resulting from a dating relationship-related altercation between two males and a female,” Capers said. “One of the males is suspected to be an ex-boyfriend and the deceased is the current boyfriend. The female informed deputies the ex-boyfriend was the shooter, and left the scene in a gray passenger car headed towards the Cypress area in Harris County.”

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A box truck driven by two suspects attempted to steal diesel fuel from a store in Shepherd. Courtesy photos

SJNT staff

Law enforcement officials are searching for the suspects who attempted to steal fuel.SHEPHERD — The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an attempt to steal diesel fuel through the use of gift cards and storage totes.

Sheriff Greg Capers said that on March 7, deputies were alerted about suspicious activity at Big Kountry Travel Stop in Shepherd, where two suspects in a white box truck attempted to pay for diesel with a gift card.

The attendant realized that something didn’t make sense and called 911; once the two males heard him giving dispatchers their description, they fled into the woods, abandoning the truck, which was at the commercial vehicle diesel pumps, he said.

Deputies found the box truck had some fabrication done, allowing fuel to be pumped through the saddle tank and into storage totes in the cargo area, Capers said, and apparently, the plot is to use gift cards to get the attendant to turn on the pump and then the thieves pump hundreds of gallons of diesel without paying for any of it, then drive away.

Capers said this type of scam has been widespread recently, with cases being reported in Liberty, Harris, Montgomery, Galveston and Brazoria counties. Multiple agencies are involved in the investigation, and multiple subjects have been identified in various counties.

If you have any information regarding the possible identity of the subject, or observe any suspicious activity, please contact the Sheriff’s Office.

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Special to the News-Times

AUSTIN — Drunk drivers claim the lives of hundreds of Texans every year, and spring break can be a particularly deadly time.

TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign is working with college students around the state to highlight the dangers of impaired driving by sharing stories from people who have experienced the consequences firsthand.

One person in Texas dies every 7 hours and 43 minutes in a DUI-alcohol (driving under the influence) related traffic crash. In 2021, 1,134 people in Texas were killed and 2,565 seriously injured because someone chose to get behind the wheel while impaired. During spring break of 2021, Texas recorded 874 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes, resulting in 31 deaths and 107 serious injuries.

“The loss of life on our highways is tragic,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “It is all the more tragic to know that the vast majority of these lives lost could be prevented. Our message to students is this: Help keep yourself and others safe by finding a sober ride, taking a cab, using a rideshare, or simply staying put. There are severe and deadly consequences to drunk driving, and we don’t want to see lives and futures destroyed.”

TxDOT is partnering with college campus-based U in the Driver Seat, a peer-to-peer program led by students at Texas A&M University, focused on saving lives by preventing traffic crashes. Student leaders from around the state will join the campaign and urge their fellow students to always find a sober ride.

Drinking and driving is an all-too-often regrettable decision with far-reaching consequences. Beyond the inherent risk of injury and death — to the driver, passengers or other innocent bystanders — driving while intoxicated is often accompanied by a lingering emotional and financial toll, resulting in legal, career, and mental health repercussions. Every day, impaired driving devastates the lives of offenders and survivors alike.

Throughout March, TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign will host outreach events at key spring break locations. Each event will showcase a mobile video exhibit featuring powerful testimonials from Texans who intimately understand the consequences of drunk driving, either as offenders or survivors. These humanizing stories and tips for finding a sober ride can be found at SoberRides.org.

TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths.

Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.