Suspect charged with capital murder in Jazmine Barnes shooting
by: KHOU Staff
Posted:
Updated:
by: KHOU Staff
Posted:
Updated:
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A 20-year-old man charged with capital murder for his involvement in Jazmine Barnes’ death appeared in PC Court early Sunday morning.
Eric Black Jr. admitted to driving the vehicle involved in the deadly shooting, a judge said in PC court. Black allegedly told investigators there was one other passenger in his car. He claims the passenger was the one who shot at Barnes and her family.
Investigators are still looking for him.
According to information read in court, Black and the passenger targeted the wrong vehicle. They did not realize they had the wrong vehicle until they saw it on the news later in the day.
All evidence gathered so far in the Jazmine Barnes Homicide case supports investigators’ strong belief that she and her family were innocent victims. #JusticeforJazmine#hounews
Black and the passenger were identified by an anonymous source who directly emailed Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The source told Gonzalez that the suspects were not in a red pickup truck like originally thought, but they were driving a rental car, later identified as a dark-colored Kia.
There was no mention of a red pickup truck during PC court.
HOW WAS ERIC BLACK ARRESTED?
Black was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 5. after a deputy pulled him over near the intersection of Woodforest and Beltway 8 for not signaling when he made a lane change, according to information read in court. The deputy approached his vehicle and asked him for his license and registration. When Black opened the glove compartment, the deputy noticed a plastic bag of marijuana.
The deputy then asked Black to exit the vehicle. More marijuana was found on Black and inside his car. He was arrested and taken into custody for possession without incident.
Homicide investigators spoke with Black later that day and he allegedly admitted to being involved with Barnes’ murder. Black told investigators he was driving a dark-colored Kia, that he rented, during the shooting. He allegedly told investigators that his passenger spotted Barnes’ family vehicle and started shooting towards them.
Barnes was shot in the head, a medical examiner confirmed.
Black returned the dark-colored Kia the day after the shooting and got a different rental, according to a judge.
Black told investigators that the gun used in the shooting was at his home. He signed a consent to search his house and that’s when investigators found a 9mm pistol consistent to the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.