HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to shooting a tow truck driver before taking his vehicle at a washeteria in east Houston last year, the United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Zachary M. Smith was given a 41-month term of imprisonment for the carjacking and another 120 months for the firearms charge, which must be served consecutively. The total 161-month sentence will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said.
Suspect accused of shooting tow truck driver, ramming HPD vehicle arrested again while out on bond, police say
On Feb. 6, investigators said a masked Smith shot the victim in his stomach before stealing his vehicle in the parking lot of a washateria on Melbourne Drive.
Smith was also allegedly involved in a shooting on Feb. 7 in the 2000 block of Broadway Street. On that day, authorities said Smith led law enforcement in a pursuit that came to an end when the bullet-riddled vehicle he was in crashed into a patrol unit.
While out on bond, Smith was arrested again on Feb. 22 on unrelated felony charges, police said. He will remain in custody.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Cooper is prosecuting the case.
Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Credit: Source link
