Who is Deshawn Longmire? Houston Uber driver arrested for fatally shooting pastor in road rage
HOUSTON, TEXAS- An Uber driver, Deshawn Longmire, 23, has been arrested and charged on account of murder after he shot and killed a pastor during an apparent road rage incident, according to the authorities.
Ronald Mouton Sr, a pastor at East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, was shot and killed on June 24 after witnesses saw him in an argument with another motorist. The shooter was not immediately arrested.
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The police have apprehended the 23-year-old Uber driver and charged him with murder. Online records from the Harris County District Clerk's Office show that Deshawn Longmire is being held in Harris County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
According to an arrest report obtained by Click2Houston, an NBC affiliate, witnesses told police that they saw Deshawn and Ronald in an argument at a stoplight. Neither of the two exited their vehicles.
As per the arrest report, Deshawn was driving for Uber in his black Honda sedan with a peeled window tint while Ronald was driving a white BMW. Uber, in a statement, said that Deshawn was not carrying any passengers at the time of the incident.
Surveilllance photos of suspect’s vehicle, a black 2008-2010 Honda Accord driven by a black male. The suspect is wanted in the fatal shooting of Pastor Ronald Mouton (pictured).
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) June 29, 2022
Call HPD Homicide or anonymous tip @CrimeStopHOU. Reward is more than $15K for info on suspect’s ID. https://t.co/AGLPgHTNaQ pic.twitter.com/Pe459XlkVs
Witnesses told police in a statement that Deshawn "stretched his arm out of the driver window with a pistol in his hand" and allegedly shot Ronald, and then fled the scene. Meanwhile, Ronald crashed his car and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said that both Deshawn and Ronald were unknown to each other prior to the incident. Deshawn told police that he was not near the area where the alleged incident occured. However, a mobile search reportedly disputed those claims and in the arrest report obtained by KHOU-TV, Uber records show that Deshawn was in the area when Ronald was shot.
UPDATE: Suspect Deshawn Longmire, 23, is arrested and charged in the murder of Ronald Mouton.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 31, 2022
More information here: https://t.co/V5HhYeoc1I#hounews https://t.co/AGLPgHTNaQ pic.twitter.com/KFI7woLC5l
As of now, online records show that Deshawn has not yet entered a plea or has an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf. Since the investigation, Uber has removed Deshawn's access to the car-riding app.
Family says "senseless tragedy" in a statement
Meanwhile, Ronald's family issued a statement after the Uber driver's arrest. They said, "we are still grief-stricken over this senseless tragedy." The family added, "we want the man who took his life to understand the seriousness of his crime. He took the life of a husband, a father. Our confidence and hope is in the proficient work the of police. We also hope the work of the entire criminal justice system is done thoroughly and that justice is duly served."
Ronald Mouton Sr had been a pastor for 32 years in the community and his longtime friend Bishop James Dixon, while speaking to Defender said that Ronald's family is still grieving.