26-year-old man charged with murder after shooting girlfriend

PD: Suspect was firing randomly in neighborhood

Houston – A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder after a Houston Police Department investigation.

“My sister was about to graduate. She was a beautiful girl and he brought her down,” said Alejandro Martinez.

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Martinez said his sister Esmeralda Martinez, 18, dated Johnathon Sanchez for eight months until recently.

“She had gotten into a real big argument with him. She was gonna drop off his stuff so I was like, 'Be careful,'” Martinez said.

On Sunday morning, Esmeralda's mother found her shot to death inside their home on 74th and Holtcamp.

“We've gone through so much pain man. It hurts. It hurts because I know that's going to affect her for a long time and that's her mother,” said Alejandro Martinez.

Earlier, police said officers found Sanchez walking the street with a gun shooting randomly at homes and cars. They said he even threatened people coming out of a nearby church.

“He just keep saying, 'I need to kill somebody. I need to kill somebody,'" said Pete Manzano. “He unloaded one clip, took that one out and put another clip and just started shooting just everywhere, at cars that were passing by, just anybody.”

Two longtime Houston police officers found Sanchez on 70th and Avenue C and asked him to put down his gun. They said he refused.

“At one point, he actually turned, pointed the weapon at the officers who were giving him those commands and reportedly there was a shot fired,” said Victor Santies with the Houston Police Department.

Police shot back and hit Sanchez several times.

Family members said Sanchez is Esmeralda's ex-boyfriend and they had been together at her home.

“He was the only one there. Then they catch him shooting at other houses over here down the street. How can you not link that to this case right here?” Alejandro Martinez said.

The officers were not hurt.