Woman, 2-year-old daughter found shot to death inside southeast Houston home.
Authorities found the two bodies after alert from suspect’s friend
Veronica Mercado was holding her 2-year-old child when police found them shot to death Friday morning in their southeast Houston home, officials said.
Police were searching Friday for the woman’s boyfriend, 23-year-old Jonathan Figueroa, who has been named as a person of interest in the deaths.
Authorities went to the woman’s home in the 7800 block of Elvera, southwest of Broadway and Lawndale, about 10 a.m. after being contacted by a friend of Figueroa. The friend told police that his car was missing and that he called Figueroa looking for it. After talking to Figueroa, the friend became worried about Mercado.
The front door to Mercado’s home was broken open. Police found several gunshots throughout the home, said Sgt. Mark Holbrook. Mercado and her daughter were found dead in the kitchen, and each had been shot several times, he said.
Police have been to the home before, Holbrook said. The residence is among single-story houses in the neighborhood, where Spanish is primarily spoken. Most of the neighbors said they did not know Mercado.
One woman outside the home said she worked with Mercado at a bakery. Police were questioning her late Friday afternoon.
Figueroa and Mercado had been dating for several months. She had three children, two who are school age. Figueroa is not their biological father.
He is believed to be driving a maroon Ford Taurus with a Texas license plate CTS 3225. He may be trying to go to Mexico, possibly on a bus, police said.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years,” Holbrook said. “This is a hard scene.”