Who is Crystal Sepulveda? Texas cop, 29, shot in the FACE by carjacker who was later gunned down
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS: A female Houston cop was hospitalized after being shot twice by a carjacking suspect she was chasing. Missouri City Police Officer Crystal Sepulveda, 29, was seen being carried into a Houston hospital by her fellow officers. She had been shot both in the face and a foot.
A suspected carjacker, who was trying to run away from police in Missouri City, opened fire while being chased. Officers from several agencies who arrived at the scene found the suspect hiding out in a backyard with automatic pistols and extended magazines. The suspect began shooting as police approched him, and was struck several times when police opened fire. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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Missouri City Police began pursuing the suspect just before 2.30 am on Saturday, July 23, after they spotted a stolen vehicle at a local Texaco gas station which had been involved in an aggravated robbery the day before. The suspect refused to stop when police pursued the vehicle and tried to pull it over. Houston police were then called in for backup, the Daily Mail reported.
The suspect stopped the car at a home in the 15500 block of Corsair Road in Houston, stepped out and began running in between homes. He opened fire on two officers when police tried to approach him. This is when Sepulveda was wounded. She was transported to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center and is said to be in a stable condition at present.
Who is Crystal Sepulveda?
Crystal Sepulveda is a Missouri City police officer who has been with the force for three years. Her colleagues said she is a "fighter" and expected to "survive her injuries". Missouri City Police Officers Association - Fraternal Order of Police has created a fundraiser to help Sepulveda with her medical expenses. At the time of writing this article, $20,050 had been raised of the $50,000 goal.
The City of Missouri City, Texas - City Government took to Facebook to confirm that Sepulveda is in a stable condition. "Missouri City Police Officer Crystal Sepulveda is currently in stable condition after being shot while on duty early this morning. Please join us in sending our thoughts and prayers for a healthy recovery to Officer Sepulveda and her family. Thank you to all involved in assisting Officer Sepulveda and in helping to keep our City safe," it wrote.
After wounding Sepulveda, the suspect tried to hide but police set up a perimeter around the neighborhood and located him. Houston Police Chief Troy Finnier told KPRC that the suspect "was armed with two automatic pistols with extended magazines." "That's what we're facing, and everybody needs to know it," the chief said. Following a shootout, the suspect was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Although his identity has not been revealed, police said he is believed to be between the ages of 25 and 30.
Carolyn Smith, a woman outside whose house the shooting took place, said she was grateful no bullets entered her house. "Bullets didn’t go in the house. Bullets could have gone in the house," Smith told Fox 26. "The car could have came through the window, so I feel much better to know God protected my son that was here last night."
Talking about Sepulveda, Smith said, "Before I got home, I thought she was gone. And I think that took me down mostly because when you have family members serving on the same job it does make you feel bad, but when I heard that she was okay, I felt a whole lot better."
Two Houston cops, a Fort Bend County Sheriff’s deputy and a Texas Department of Public Safety officer were engaged with the suspect. Independent investigations will be conducted by the agencies into the shooting and the roles played by their officers.