Authorities have apprehended three teenage boys in connection with the tragic death of a Texas Marine veteran, who was also working as a rideshare driver to help support his family.
The arrests relate to the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Quoc “Jake” Nguyen, found lifeless beside a road on September 4, as confirmed by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Thursday.
The suspects include a 15-year-old charged with capital murder, along with a 14-year-old and a 13-year-old facing charges of tampering with evidence.
Nguyen, who served as a Marine, was killed while driving for Uber, according to authorities.
(Harris County Sheriff’s Office; KRIV)
Recently, the trio was detained and booked into the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, Sheriff Gonzalez reported.
Investigators suspect that after shooting Nguyen, the teens stole his car and belongings before making their escape.
Nguyen’s brother, Matthew, told Fox Houston his brother had been driving for Uber to help support their mother and sister. The Nguyen family immigrated to Houston from Vietnam several years ago.
A Harris County Sheriff’s Office cruiser sits in a parking lot. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
“At the time he was driving that night, he had a rideshare from Uber,” Matthew Nguyen said. “He picked up one customer and dropped him off downtown. After that, he still had some people in the car. Uber confirmed that’s the last time they heard from him.
“I had just spoken to him on Tuesday, and he sounded like he finally figured some stuff out,” he added. “Then we get a call on Friday … and this is the case.”
In a post on X, Gonzalez called Nguyen’s death “tragic and senseless.”
“Our condolences go out to Jake’s friends and family. Outstanding work by @HCSOTexas detectives, VCAT, and all team members involved,” he wrote.
