Houston police renew call for tips on dumpster diver’s 2021 killing

MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial starts Tuesday. Here’s what to understand.

Berghoff and a chum have been rummaging via discarded trash on Rayson Road within the early hours of Feb, 6, 2021 once they have been faced by way of a person in a silver Ford F-150, in line with police. The disagreement changed into a struggle, throughout which Berghoff stabbed the person with a pocket knife ahead of leaving the scene, police stated.

The guy within the F-150 adopted Berghoff and stuck as much as her Cadillac sedan a couple of block away, police stated. The guy fired a gun into Berghoff’s automotive, hitting her as soon as. Berghoff died on the scene.

Berghoff and her pal have been within the house having a look for pieces that have been positioned within the trash and that may be doubtlessly recycled or reused, in line with police and witnesses.

The taking pictures used to be certainly one of a number of in Houston throughout the primary weekend of February, and then regulation enforcement leaders pledged to extend officer presence in crime hotspots and to start out arresting other people for lower-level crimes to tamp down on the violence.

Police to begin with launched a comic strip of the alleged shooter and an outline of his car, however Friday used to be the primary time police publicized Mendez’s title and film since fees have been filed in opposition to him greater than a yr in the past.

According to charging paperwork, the comic strip unlock ended in an nameless file that pointed to a suspect and corrected the car identity. He used to be using a Lincoln Mark II pickup truck, no longer a Ford, in line with charging paperwork.

Mendez’s house cope with used to be indexed 4 miles northeast of the taking pictures location, however his folks’ house is on Rayson, in line with police. The nameless tipster additionally informed police he have been recognized to shoot a gun off as he drove down the road.

Police introduced Mendez in for wondering in March 2022, however he wasn’t in an instant arrested. Days later police stated he have been undoubtedly known in a photograph lineup by way of the pal who used to be with Berghoff when she used to be shot, in line with charging paperwork.

Prosecutors filed homicide fees in opposition to Mendez on April 16, 2022. Court paperwork point out he hasn’t been booked into the Harris County Jail because the fees have been filed. His whereabouts have been nonetheless unknown as of Friday, police stated.

Police requested any individual with information about Mendez to call murder investigators at  713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.