Toddler found dead after father shot, car stolen

HOUSTON (KTRK) - Police say a 2-year-old boy was found dead inside an SUV that was stolen after his father was fatally shot during an argument.

The incident reportedly started about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday with an argument between the toddler’s 38-year-old father and another man at a shopping center in Houston.

The boy’s father was shot several times in the chest, killing him. The gunman then drove off in the father’s SUV.

Police say they didn’t know a child was inside the stolen vehicle until a woman called in a missing persons report for her husband and 2-year-old child at 6:36 p.m.

About 30 minutes later, investigators found the SUV with the 2-year-old dead inside.

Police believe the toddler died from being left in a hot vehicle, saying he may have been in the car since about 2 p.m. Temperatures reportedly reached highs in the mid-90s.

Police said Wednesday on Twitter that they detained a 38-year-old suspect. He faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence.