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One suspect, 24, is charged with murder and a second is still at large for shooting dead veteran cop in a 'road rage incident' outside a Houston motel

  One suspect, 24, has been charged with murder and a second is still at large over the shooting death of a veteran cop in an road rage inci...

 One suspect, 24, has been charged with murder and a second is still at large over the shooting death of a veteran cop in an road rage incident outside a motel in Houston, Texas. 

Sergeant Sean Rios, 47, was gunned down in a motel parking lot Monday afternoon while driving his black KIA sedan to work on Interstate 45 in north Houston.

Witnesses said the officer, who was not in uniform, staggered into the lobby of the Taj Inn & Suites with multiple gunshot wounds and died about 1:30 p.m.    

Houston police arrested one suspect Robert Soliz, 24, Tuesday afternoon during a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in west Houston. He was charged with Rios' murder Wednesday. 

A second suspect, who has not been named, is also wanted for Rios' murder. He remains on the run two days on from the killing with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo warning him 'we're coming for ya.'

Houston Police released footage of the two suspects accused of shooting dead Rios, a 25-year veteran cop and father of four, at a press conference Tuesday.   


The security footage shows Soliz, wearing a white t-shirt, with a second man standing outside two pickup trucks in what appears to be a parking lot. 

The second male is Hispanic, has arm tattoos, a beard and mustache and is wearing a black t-shirt. 

He is seen speaking with Soliz and driving a black pickup truck, police said. 

Acevedo said Soliz had been arrested without incident at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday by officers who performed a traffic stop on the suspect. 

Sergeant Sean Rios, 47, (pictured) was gunned down in a motel parking lot Monday afternoon while driving his black KIA sedan to work on Interstate 45 in north Houston

Sergeant Sean Rios, 47, (pictured) was gunned down in a motel parking lot Monday afternoon while driving his black KIA sedan to work on Interstate 45 in north Houston

The police chief said a manhunt was underway for the second man who he described as an 'extreme person of interest' in the officer's death.

'That person is a person of extreme interest in the murder of Sgt. Sean Rios. To that individual: We're coming for ya, we're going to find ya, so you might as well turn yourself in,' Acevedo said.

'The video we're going to show this community is clear. The person, when they see themselves, will know who they are, but they're going to know that other people will know who this person is. We need this person in custody.' 

Houston police confirmed they were still hunting for the suspect Wednesday and asked anyone with information to contact the authorities.  

Investigators also released new details Tuesday of the circumstances leading up to Rios' death.  

Houston Police released footage (above) of the two suspects accused of shooting dead Rios, a 25-year veteran cop and father of four, at a press conference Tuesday

Houston Police released footage (above) of the two suspects accused of shooting dead Rios, a 25-year veteran cop and father of four, at a press conference Tuesday

The security footage shows Soliz, wearing a white t-shirt, with a second man standing outside two pickup trucks in what appears to be a parking lot

The security footage shows Soliz, wearing a white t-shirt, with a second man standing outside two pickup trucks in what appears to be a parking lot

The second suspect (above), who has not been named, is also wanted for Rios' murder. He remains on the run two days on from the killing with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo warning him 'we're coming for ya'

The second suspect (above), who has not been named, is also wanted for Rios' murder. He remains on the run two days on from the killing with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo warning him 'we're coming for ya' 

The second male is Hispanic, has arm tattoos, a beard and mustache and is wearing a black t-shirt. He is seen speaking with Soliz and driving a black pickup truck (above), police said

The second male is Hispanic, has arm tattoos, a beard and mustache and is wearing a black t-shirt. He is seen speaking with Soliz and driving a black pickup truck (above), police said

Surveillance cam shows suspect wanted for murder of officer
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Acevedo said police believe Rios may have been shot by the suspects when he tried to intervene in a gunfire exchange between two vehicles.  

The police chief said police had received reports of gunshots between a white pickup truck and a blue Mercedes not long before Rios was shot. 

The blue Mercedes matches the description of the vehicle belonging to Soliz, he said. 

Witnesses said two Hispanic males fled the scene, one in the blue Mercedes and the other in a black Chevy pickup truck matching the one seen in the police surveillance video with the second suspect, he said.

'And so we believe there's a high probability that Sgt. Rios saw that incident between those two vehicles and, sadly, ended up losing his life in trying to intervene,' Acevedo said.   

Police believe Rios (above) may have been killed when he tried to intervene in a gunfire exchange between two vehicles
Soliz (above) was charged with murder and booked into Harris County Jail

Police believe Rios may have been killed when he tried to intervene in a gunfire exchange between two vehicles. Soliz was charged with murder and booked into Harris County Jail

The crime scene above where the fatal shooting took place Monday when Rios was driving to work

The crime scene above where the fatal shooting took place Monday when Rios was driving to work 

Acevedo said police believe Soliz has been involved in multiple road-rage 'assaults' involving firearms in the Houston area and told the public to contact police if they recognized him.

He said he was 'highly confident' Soliz would also face charges over a separate assault on a member of a community.  

Soliz has been booked into Harris County Jail.    

Rios had been a member of the Houston Police Department for 25 years and was headed to the airport for his regular shift when he was killed. He leaves behind four children.  

The officer is the second Houston cop to be killed in the last three weeks, and the fourth in the last year. 

On October 20, Sgt. Harold Preston was killed while responding to a domestic violence call in the city, and another was wounded.

Authorities said Elmer Manzano, 51, shot Sgt Preston and Officer Courtney Waller at the Richmond Manor apartments in the 2600 block of Holly Hall while they were responding to a domestic violence incident at the complex. 

Preston, who was a 41-year veteran of the department, succumbed to his injuries at Memorial Hermann Hospital after he was shot in the head twice and once in the shoulder.

Police also said Preston, who was preparing to retire this year, had a bullet lodged in his spine. He had been engaged to be married.

Waller, who has been at the department for three years, was shot in the arm and is expected to survive. 

Sgt Harold Preston died Tuesday after being shot while responding to a domestic violence disturbance in Houston
Officer Courtney Waller was wounded in the attack

Sgt Harold Preston (left) was killed, and Officer Courtney Waller (right) was wounded after being shot while they were responding to a domestic violence incident at the complex on October 20

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