Deputy Sheriff Albert Ochoa Garza, 48, was shot and killed on July 30, 1979, while intervening in a robbery at a jewelry store at 2607 Richmond Avenue in Houston, Texas. He was off-duty and had stopped by the store to visit the owner when he was informed of the robbery; after identifying himself as a law enforcement officer, the suspects opened fire and killed him instantly.

The suspects fled to New Orleans, Louisiana. One was killed in a shootout with police there; two others were captured. One of those captured was convicted and sentenced to death and remained on death row until his death on November 2, 2011; the other was convicted of aggravated robbery. Deputy Garza had served one year with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and nine years with the Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 1.

The case underscores the danger officers can face even when off-duty and is remembered by colleagues and the community. Does anyone have recollections of the robbery, the jewelry store, or Deputy Garza’s service in Houston?