Darren Almendarez

Darren Almendarez, a 51-year-old Hispanic man and a veteran Harris County Sheriff's Deputy, was a respected public servant with a 23-year career in law enforcement. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the auto theft division. His wife, Flor Zarzoza, later remembered him as her hero, saying, "It was an honor and a privilege to be by his side until his last breath. He died loving what he did, his job."

On the night of March 31, 2022, Almendarez and his wife were leaving a grocery store in a north Houston parking lot after buying food for his sister’s birthday party. As they walked to their truck, Almendarez noticed a black Nissan Altima backed up to his vehicle with two men underneath, attempting to steal its catalytic converter. He told his wife to run to safety and then confronted the men. The suspects opened fire, shooting Almendarez multiple times. Despite his injuries, he was able to return fire and hit at least two of the suspects before they fled. Almendarez was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation quickly identified three suspects. Shortly after the shooting, two wounded men arrived at the same hospital where Almendarez had been taken. Authorities identified them as Joshua Stewart, 23, and Fredarius Clark, 19. They were taken into custody. The third suspect, 17-year-old Fredrick Tardy, was arrested later. Investigators believed the three were part of a larger catalytic converter theft ring.

All three men were charged with capital murder. Stewart and Clark were denied bond, while Tardy was granted a $750,000 bond, which he posted. The Harris County District Attorney's office announced it would seek the death penalty for Stewart and Clark, but not for Tardy because of his age at the time of the crime.

In April 2026, a Harris County jury found Joshua Stewart guilty of capital murder. The court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of April 2026, the trials for co-defendants Fredarius Clark and Fredrick Tardy remained pending.

In the wake of the deputy's death, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the "Deputy Darren Almendarez Act" into law, which imposes harsher penalties for catalytic converter theft. A community center in Houston was also named in his honor to commemorate his service and sacrifice.