16-year-old boy charged with murder in the shooting death of 19-year-old man in east Houston, police say

HOUSTON – A 16-year-old boy turned himself into police custody Thursday after he was charged in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man on Dec. 11, according to the Houston Police Department.

The juvenile suspect has been charged with murder in the shooting death of Ivan Martinez.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. at a strip center parking lot, located in the 8600 block of Mesa Road, in east Houston.

Responding officers said they found Martinez unresponsive in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. He had been shot several times and was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Witnesses told police the shooting happened during the purchase of narcotics, which led to the teen shooting the suspect. They saw the juvenile flee the scene in a cream-colored sedan.

During the investigation, detectives were able to identify the shooter as the 16-year-old boy.

Because of his age, Houston police have not released the suspect’s identity.