Suspect charged in shooting death of a Houston-area deputy during manhunt after pizzeria assault

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas authorities say a suspect has been charged with the fatal shooting of a Houston-area sheriff’s deputy while police were conducting a manhunt following an assault at a pizzeria. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says Ronald Palmer Jr. was arrested around 7 p.m. Thursday and later charged with capital murder. Deputy Fernando Esqueda, 28, was killed early Thursday morning while helping to search for a suspect who allegedly pistol-whipped a pizzeria clerk hours earlier. Gonzalez says Esqueda was shot multiple times around midnight when he located the suspect’s vehicle.