Four members of a Texas family have been charged with murder after being accused of ambushing a neighbor in what authorities said Wednesday was a case of mistaken identity.
Eddie Clark, 29, was shot late Monday as he drove to his Houston-area home in northwest Harris County.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office alleged that Clark was shot by Joe Argueta, who lives in the same subdivision.
His mother, Florinda Argueta, 39, told investigators someone had been damaging their home and vehicles, and that they suspected a teenage friend of her son's ex-girlfriend was responsible, according to the sheriff's office. She said he suspect might be driving a black Dodge Charger.
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About 11:30 p.m. Monday, Joe Argueta, 19, and his family spotted what they thought was the suspected vehicle and tried to block its path, with one family member armed with a bat and another with a pistol, authorities said.
The sheriff's office alleges Joe Argueta fired at the vehicle after it tried to drive away.
The vehicle, which was shot multiple times, went off the road and hit a tree. Clark tried to flee on foot but later collapsed. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died.
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The sheriff's office said Clark had been driving a dark gray Dodge Challenger rather than a black Dodge Charger, and investigators don't believe he was involved in the dispute with the Argueta family.
"Seems like a tragic case of mistaken identity," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted on Wednesday.
Authorities charged Joe Argueta, his mother, his 45-year-old father, Luis Argueta, and his 29-year-old uncle, Margarito Alcantar, with murder. Joe Argueta and his mother were in custody Wednesday. The other two have not been arrested.
Court records don't list attorneys for Joe Argueta and his mother.
