2 suspects identified, charged in murder of Harris County deputy

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Fredarius Clark (L) and Joshua Stewart (R) are charged with Capital Murder in the death of veteran Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Almendarez.

HOUSTON - The two suspects in custody for the murder of a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy have been identified.

Joshua Stewart and Fredarius Clark have been charged with Capital Murder in the shooting death of Deputy Darren Almendarez.

DETAILS: Harris County deputy killed in grocery store parking lot, 2 suspects detained

Deputy Almendarez was gunned down outside a grocery store Thursday night, while he was off-duty.

Investigation underway after an off-duty HCSO deputy was shot

FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace has details from the scene after a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy was shot in a grocery store parking lot on Thursday night. (Editor's note: This is from an earlier report.)

He approached three suspects, two who were under his truck in the parking lot, and was greeted with gunfire. Dep. Almendarez, 51, was able to return fire, hitting at least two of the suspects, despite being shot multiple times.

The suspects drove off at a high speed.

Dep. Almendarez, a 23-year veteran of HCSO, was transported to Houston Northwest Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Stewart, 23, and Clark, 19, arrived at the same hospital in the suspect vehicle a short time later, with gunshot wounds.

Anyone with information about the murder of Deputy Darren Almendarez is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.