A second suspect has been charged in the fatal ambush of Harris County Sheriff’s deputy Fernando Esqueda. Dremone Francis, 26, was charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence on Sunday. He is currently held at the Harris County Jail.
Francis is the second person charged in connection with Esqueda’s murder. Ronald Palmer Jr., 44, was previously charged with capital murder and aggravated assault after a manhunt. Palmer allegedly assaulted a worker at a Little Caesars in Houston over a pizza order, leading to the events that resulted in Esqueda’s death.
Detectives revealed that Francis admitted to disposing of Palmer’s firearms after the killing. “The defendant also admitted that immediately after the murder of Deputy Esqueda, co-defendant Palmer gave him a pistol and a Mini Draco firearm and told him to get rid of them,” a prosecutor stated in court. “A witness stated the defendant dropped off a pistol and Mini Draco firearm in a black trash bag, told the witness the guns were hot and to get rid of them.”
Esqueda responded to the disturbance at Little Caesars and was ambushed while on the phone with fellow deputies. Chief Deputy Mike Lee recounted the scene, saying, “Other detectives in the area went to his location and at that time they saw his undercover vehicle with multiple gun strikes in it. They checked on him and he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.”
Detectives discovered 41 shell casings at the site. Due to the severity of his injuries, detectives transported Esqueda to the nearest hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.
Palmer is held on a $100,000 bond and appeared before a magistrate judge on Monday. Francis’s bond is set at $500,000, with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday.
Deputy Esqueda, 28, was a dedicated officer with five years of service. He was honored with a procession on Monday and details of his public funeral services have been shared. A viewing and rosary are set for Thursday, followed by a funeral mass on Friday.
