PASADENA, Texas – The man who was shot and killed inside a Pasadena Bubba’s 33 restaurant on Friday night had been asked by the suspect to meet there to “discuss things privately,” according to Harris County court records.
Heriberto “Eddie” Zamora, 42, died of multiple gunshot wounds, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed.
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The suspect, 48-year-old Kenneth Leon Scott Jr., knew Zamora from working together in the past, court records show. But Zamora’s attorney said the two hadn’t spoken in years, and Scott had recently been pressuring Zamora to meet up.
“In the last few months, this man had been contacting my client, pressuring him to meet up, wanted to meet, have a drink, that sort of thing,” defense attorney Mark Morasch said. “That night, my client finally relented. This had been going on for 2 or 3 months.”
Morasch also represented Zamora on child sex assault charges filed by Harris County prosecutors in late June. Zamora was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and sexual assault of a child between ages 14 and 17. He was out on a total bond of $50,000 at the time of the shooting.
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The Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigated the sexual assault case, which stemmed from allegations by the same accuser. The abuse was first reported in 2022, but charges were not filed until June 2025.
“We had defenses,” Morasch said, noting he had just ended a phone call with Zamora before the shooting. “I had spoken to my client about doing a polygraph test.”
Pasadena Police told KPRC 2 on Tuesday that investigators do not know if the pending sex assault charges had any connection to Zamora’s death.
Surveillance video shows Zamora holding open the restaurant door before Scott chased him inside, followed by a struggle and gunfire, according to court records.
Scott allegedly shot Zamora multiple times at close range in the head, then placed coins, specifically quarters, over Zamora’s eyes, records show.
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A retired Pasadena police officer who witnessed the shooting pulled a gun and told Scott to stop, but Scott fled the scene.
A Pasadena police surveillance camera helped investigators identify Scott’s car and license plate. He was tracked to Fayette County and arrested later that night by Schulenberg Police Department.
During an interview with investigators, Scott said he bought the gun from Zamora years ago and that he “blacked out” during the shooting. When asked why he did it, Scott said that was “irrelevant.”
He did not admit to placing coins over Zamora’s eyes but acknowledged knowing the coins were “to pay the ferryman to cross the river Styx,” according to records.
Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting.
As of Tuesday evening, Scott remained in custody in Fayette County. He is expected to be brought back to Harris County to face charges of murder and aggravated assault.
A stray bullet injured a restaurant employee, police said. Patrons told KPRC 2 they hid in a freezer during the chaos.
The employee’s family told KPRC 2 he was doing fine and declined to comment.
Morasch said police now have a text message thread between Zamora and Scott as part of the investigation. He added that it is “possible” others could be charged in connection with the murder.
Scott previously served state prison time after a 1993 Galveston County conviction for attempted murder, according to records. KPRC 2 has requested more information on that case.
It is not yet clear when Scott will have his first court appearance in Harris County on the new charges.