HOUSTON – Authorities have identified the suspect in the deadly ambush Friday of a Harris County deputy during a traffic stop.
Robert Solis, 47, is charged with capital murder in connection with the slaying of Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal on Willancy Court near West Road.
Gonzalez said Dhaliwal, who is a 10-year veteran of the department, stopped a vehicle with a man and woman inside. During that stop, Gonzalez said, one of the people in the vehicle got out and shot the 41-year-old deputy "ambush-style" at least twice in a "ruthless, cold-blooded way."
READ: HCSO's history-making Sikh deputy, Sandeep Dhaliwal, killed in line of duty
The shooter was seen running in a Kroger shopping center nearby, officials said. An employee told KPRC 2, KSAT's sister station in Houston, that the shooter never entered the Kroger but left the vehicle in the parking lot before fleeing the scene.
Investigators were able to identify what the shooter looked like by watching Dhaliwal's dashcam video.
"They immediately looked at his dashcam to see what the suspect looked like, they took a photo of the suspect on the scene with their phone and immediately got that out to our intel people," Gonzalez said.
The vehicle the shooter was driving was recovered and is being investigated, officials said.
The owner of a Marble Slab Creamery said the possible gunman hung out at his shop for nearly a half-hour before authorities arrived and took him into custody. The woman who was inside the vehicle with the suspect was also detained, officials said.
SKY 2 followed a Sheriff's Office cruiser that transported Solis to jail.
Gonzalez asked everyone to pray for the deputy after he was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital by Life Flight. About 4:30 p.m., Gonzalez said in a tweet that the deputy had died.
Gonzales said Dhaliwal leaves behind a wife and three children.
"Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was a trailblazer," said Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia. "He was an example for many. He represented his community with respect and pride."