Police name suspect accused of shooting 4-year-old in Haltom City over business dispute
Police have identified the suspect accused in a Feb. 16 drive-by shooting that injured a 4-year-old girl in Haltom City as Jesus Vela-Alferez, 46, of Fort Worth.
Police said Vela-Alferez was taken into custody without incident at his home in Fort Worth.
The father of the injured child and Vela-Alferez had a business relationship, police said, and investigators believe the shooting was in response to a business dispute.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Feb. 16, the Haltom City Police Department responded to the 3500 block of Eastridge Drive after receiving a call about gunfire in the area, police said in a news release.
When officers arrived, they found several vehicles and a house had been struck by bullets in a drive-by shooting. A child inside the residence was injured by the gunfire and transported to a local hospital, police said.
The child underwent surgery Wednesday, but her condition was not available on Thursday.
A neighbor told the Star-Telegram that the victim was a 4-year-old girl, who was able to walk from the house to the ambulance.
The neighbor heard several shots and saw a pickup truck speeding away afterward.
A family member of the injured child told WFAA-TV that the girl was playing in the front of the house when she was shot in the leg.
The girl’s father told WFAA that he thought his house was targeted, with nearly a dozen bullets, but he didn’t know why. He said he’s lived in the neighborhood for years and hasn’t had previous problems.
Vela-Alferez faces four charges of deadly conduct and one charge of injury to a child, each a third-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of between two and 10 years in prison if convicted, police said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 10:29 PM.