Harris County shooting: Man shot dead while investigating friend's stolen truck at chop shop

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HCSO briefing: Man shot on Brownsville Street

The Harris County Sheriff's Office provides an update on the investigation into the deadly shooting of a man at a business on Brownsville Street Monday morning.

A man was shot to death on the fenced-in property of an east Harris County business early Monday morning, authorities say.

The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. in the 14000 block of Brownsville Street. The situation transpired when the property owner called 9-1-1, claiming to have shot at an intruder on his premises. Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered an unresponsive young man within the confines of the property, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.

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Shawn Mireles, 21, was fatally shot in what authorities have described as a confrontation within the premises of a suspected chop shop and dumping ground for stolen vehicles and parts. Mireles, accompanied by two colleagues, had ventured to the auto parts business following the theft of a truck belonging to one of them. Armed with information suggesting the stolen vehicle's location through GPS tracking.

However, a fatal encounter ensued when Mireles crossed paths with Jorge Zuniga-Martinez, the owner of the premises, who authorities say had opted to stay overnight due to recent theft incidents. Zuniga-Martinez claimed to have been startled by Mireles' presence and, upon confrontation, resorted to lethal force as Mireles purportedly attempted to flee.

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Auto theft investigators were called to the scene. Examination of various automotive components, including engines, transmissions, and frames, uncovered a pattern of theft. 

 Zuniga-Martinez was formally charged with the murder of Sherwin Mireles.