San Benito: South Texas officer fatally shot during pursuit of 2 men, police say
Published: Thu, 10/19/23
South Texas officer fatally shot during pursuit of 2 men, police say
'We lost one of our own.'
This undated photo provided by San Benito Police Department shows San Benito Lt. Milton Resendez, who was fatally shot Tuesday night, Oct. 17, 2023, in San Benito, Texas. Lt. Resendez was killed after he joined an hours long pursuit of two men who fled a traffic stop and led officers on a chase through several cities before they were arrested, authorities said.
(San Benito Police Department via AP)AP
MYSA
By Priscilla Aguirre
A South Texas police officer was shot and killed during a pursuit of two men on Tuesday, October 17. During a news conference on Wednesday, San Benito Police Chief Mario Perea said the official who died, Lt. Milton Resendez, spent 30 years as a police officer.
Perea said Resendez assisted in an hours-long pursuit that first started in South Padre Island around 4:30 p.m. At one point, the two suspects in the pursuit, who were first in a red GMC truck, exchanged gunfire with other police in the area.
When the suspects entered city limits in San Benito around 10:58 p.m. in another vehicle, Resendez crossed paths with them. The suspects shot an "unknown amount of rounds," causing two to strike the unit, Perea said. One of the rounds struck the door and hit Resendez in the abdomen below his body armor.
He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
South Texas pursuit
The pursuit began around 4:30 p.m. in South Padre Island when a red GMC truck carrying two men, two women and two small children was pulled over for speeding on the beach, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said in the news conference. As the driver was being questioned outside of the truck, the passenger in the vehicle started the truck. The driver jumped into the bed and the truck sped off, Saenz said.
Officials sent a warning to local police departments to be on the lookout for the GMC truck, which was spotted in Port Isabel and Brownsville. During the pursuit in Brownsville, gunfire was exchanged between the occupants of the trucks and officers. The officers "fell back" out of concern for the safety of the citizens, Saenz said.
Before the gunfire exchange, the suspects allowed the women and children to get out of the car, Saenz said. They were detained by police.
The truck was found disabled and authorities began looking for the two suspects in Brownsville, around 5 p.m. Later that evening around 10:30 p.m., the suspects were spotted again in Brownsville in a Black Ford expedition, causing another pursuit to ensue. That's when the suspects entered San Benito and fatally shot Resendez.
After the fatal shooting, Saenz said the suspects were arrested after they fled San Benito and returned to Brownsville. The two suspects bailed from the vehicle before DPS troopers were able to apprehend them.
Rodrigo Espinoza Valdez, a Mexican citizen, and Rogelio Martinez Jr., 18, a U.S. citizen, will face several charges: evading arrest, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and capital murder, Saenz said.
'We lost one of our own'
Resendez started his career serving in Brownsville and Palm Valley, according to Perea. He also spent time as a school resource officer. He spent 30 years as an officer and 26 years in San Benito.
"He was a great officer and a better person," Perea said. "He cared about everyone, he got along with everyone...It's hard right now. We lost one of our own. He worked with us for so long he's not just a coworker, he's part of our family now."
Many Texas leaders and officials are sending their condolences on the fatal shooting. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement that "hearts across Texas grieve with the family and loved ones" of Resendez.
Senator Ted Cruz wrote in a social media post that he and his family are praying for his loved ones and the department. He said, "Police officers are unsung heroes in our communities - assault on our law enforcement must end. His killer must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."