HOUSTON – Four teenagers, all ages 16 and younger, have been charged in the murder of Houston gas station and convenience store clerk, Steven Mendoza.
Mendoza was a beloved father, husband and friend. He was shot and killed while working the overnight shift at a gas station near Hobby Airport on March 20.
The arrests took place over the last two-and-half weeks and were made public by the Houston Police Department today.
Two 14-year-olds were picked up by HPD’s Southeast Division Crime Suppression team about a week after the murder. One of the 16-year-olds was arrested April 6, and the other arrested just today.
All four are charged with capital murder, according to Houston police who say they tried robbing the Chevron gas station on the corner of Gulf Freeway and Monroe Road that night.
At some point during the robbery, one of the suspects shot and killed the man working behind the counter.
Steven Mendoza was 42 years old.
However, many people don’t know Steven’s real name. Instead, they know him by Fluffy.
“Most people know him as fluff or fluffy,” said Travis Heinrichs, a longtime friend of Fluffy. “Some people know him as the big guy.”
It’s a fitting nickname for a guy that has a personality larger than life and a smile a mile wide.
“Fluffy was never friend,” Heinrichs said. “That’s my brother.”
Not by blood, but Fluffy would give his own to protect the ones he lived.
The two met while working security gigs many years ago. Knowing his background in keeping himself and others safe is what makes this whole situation so hard for Heinrichs to understand.
“He’s always said, you know, this ain’t my first rodeo. I’ve been here before.”
Security camera video obtained by KPRC 2 News from several nearby businesses show a light-colored sedan pulling down the street near the gas station around 12:42 a.m.
You see one person get out and walk in the store.
Moments later, the vehicle turns around and parks outside of a closed business that shares a parking lot with the gas station. At least one other person got out of the car and went into the store.
Within five minutes, you can see the suspects run from the store, at least one gets in the car, and they take off.
The Houston Police Department says Fluffy was killed during an attempted robbery.
“I hope and pray HPD is doing everything that they possibly can to find the three people that did this because they deserve the worst,” Heinrichs said.
Meanwhile, Fluffy’s friends and family, including his wife and young daughter, are left figuring out how to move forward knowing someone killed a man who loved others more than himself.
“It’s just, it’s not fair. It’s not fair for for his wife. It’s not fair for his kids. And it’s it’s just not fair for the friends and family that that now don’t have Fluffy.”