2 arrested after body found in burning vehicle in San Jacinto County
Alex Mejia Pineda, 33 and Alex Herrera Calderon, 24 (Source: Houston Police Department)
HOUSTON - Two men have been arrested in connection with the death of a man on Nov. 10, 2024, according to the Houston Police Department.
Homicide investigators say the body of 28-year-old Erik Eduardo Zavala-Flores was found inside a burning vehicle just before 3:30 a.m. in a remote area near Shell Oil Road in San Jacinto County. An autopsy revealed Zavala-Flores died from being shot before his body was burned.
Investigators say he was last seen at a bar at 9631 Jensen Dr. in the Eastex-Jensen area of Houston.
Get news, weather and so much more on the new FOX LOCAL app.
The investigation and witness statements revealed Zavala-Flores was shot in the parking lot of the bar, loaded into his pickup and driven away by a suspect. A second suspect followed in his own vehicle. They took Zavala-Flores to a remote area and set fire to his truck with him inside.
The suspects have been identified as 33-year-old Alex Mejia Pineda and 24-year-old Alex Herrera Calderon.
Herrera Calderon was arrested by Houston Police SWAT officers on Nov. 20 and charged with tampering with evidence - a human corpse.
Mejia Pineda was arrested on Dec. 16 in Huntsville by members of the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. He has been charged with murder.