The victim, 38, was found shot outside a business on Richmond Avenue.
HOUSTON, TX — Houston police are searching for a 45-year-old man charged with murder after a 38-year-old man was shot and killed early May 20 outside a business near a west Houston barbershop, authorities said.
Emilio Fuentes Cuellar remained out of custody after investigators identified him as the suspect in the fatal shooting at 9387 Richmond Avenue, near Ocee Street. Police said the case has been filed in the 495th Criminal District Court. The victim’s name had not been released because authorities were waiting for verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The shooting was reported about 4:10 a.m. May 20 at a strip center on Richmond Avenue. Houston police said patrol officers responded to a shooting call and found an unresponsive man outside a business. The man had gunshot wounds. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. ABC13 reported the man had gone into the barbershop while his girlfriend stayed in a vehicle outside. She told police she heard two gunshots, then saw her boyfriend come out of the shop and fall to the ground.
Police have not released a full account of what led to the gunfire. Early reports described a confrontation at the business, but investigators have not said whether the men knew each other, what started the dispute or whether any weapon was recovered. HPD Homicide Division Sergeant B. Roberts and Detective E. Torres were listed as investigators in the case. The department said Cuellar was later identified as the suspect, charged and listed as wanted. Police released a photo of Cuellar with the notice that he was not in custody.
The shooting happened in a commercial area along Richmond Avenue in west Houston, where small businesses share strip-center parking lots near apartment complexes and major roads. Local stations reported the scene was near Richmond and Ocee, an area with late-night traffic and businesses clustered close to Westheimer Road. ABC13 reported that a man and woman were seen being placed into patrol vehicles as crews arrived, but officials did not say what connection, if any, they had to the case. Police have not announced additional arrests.
The murder charge moves the case into Harris County’s criminal court system, but the next major step depends on Cuellar’s arrest. Because he was not in custody when police announced the charge, no first court appearance, bond hearing or arraignment had been reported. Crime Stoppers said tips in the case may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. Houston police said, “Anyone with information” about Cuellar’s whereabouts or the case should contact the HPD Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers.
The victim’s girlfriend gave investigators one of the earliest witness accounts, according to local reporting. Her statement placed the victim inside the shop before the shots and outside the business moments later, where he collapsed. Officers blocked off the area as homicide detectives worked the scene and searched for evidence. Police have not said whether surveillance video from the business or nearby storefronts captured the shooting. The owner of a nearby business told local media that cameras in the area may have recorded parts of the incident.
As of May 22, Cuellar was still wanted, the victim’s identity was still pending official verification and detectives had not released a motive. The next public update is expected when Cuellar is arrested, new court records are filed or the medical examiner confirms the victim’s name.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.