A tragic incident unfolded on Saturday, August 10, 2024, when a 37-year-old Texas man was fatally shot after confronting vandals outside his home in Houston. The incident, which occurred on Loper Street in the early hours of the morning, has left the community in shock and mourning, told Law and Crime.
The victim, Osvaldo Casas, was a devoted father and husband who had been dealing with repeated acts of vandalism in his neighborhood. In the days leading up to his death, Casas and his wife, Judith Molina, had noticed unusual activity around their home. Eggs and flour were thrown at their car, and a suspicious black vehicle was frequently seen lingering in the area.
On the night of August 10, Casas decided he could no longer stand idly by and chose to confront the individuals he believed were responsible for the vandalism. Security footage obtained by Houston’s CBS affiliate, KHOU, captured Casas running down the street just moments before the fatal encounter.
At approximately 12:30 a.m., Houston police received a call reporting a shooting on Loper Street. When officers arrived, they found Casas unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of Houston Fire Department paramedics, Casas was pronounced dead at the scene.
The heartbreaking details of the aftermath were shared by Molina in an interview with Houston’s Fox affiliate, KRIV. She recounted the moments after her husband was shot, describing how she desperately tried to save his life. “I did it for maybe like 10 minutes until the police arrived, and they took over, but by that time I already knew he was gone,” Molina said, tears streaming down her face. “I knew he was gone.”
A family member speaking to KHOU added, “She tried to give him CPR, and he died in her hands.”
Casas was not only a husband but also a father to two daughters, ages 16 and 8, with a baby boy due in less than a month. Molina spoke of her husband’s excitement about the impending birth of their son, telling KRIV, “He was so excited about our baby boy, due any day now.”
In the wake of Casas’s death, a GoFundMe page has been set up to support his grieving family. “Osvaldo was a man of deep love and kindness,” the page reads. “He was loved by so many in our community and never hesitated to lend a helping hand.”
As of now, Houston police have not identified a suspect, and leads in the case remain scarce. In a statement, the Houston Police Department confirmed they are treating the case as a homicide and are working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice. “At this time, there is no known suspect description,” the police statement reads.
However, Casas’s family and neighbors have provided police with crucial information. According to KHOU, neighbors reported seeing a black truck or SUV driving slowly through the neighborhood on the night of the shooting, the same vehicle that had been spotted in the area during previous vandalism incidents.
The investigation continues as the Houston community mourns the loss of a man who gave his life trying to protect his family.