Rene Hernandez, a 53-year-old Hispanic man from Baytown, Texas, was found shot to death in front of his sister’s house in Highlands, Texas, on February 28, 2021, at about 2:50 a.m. Minutes before the shooting he sent an odd early-morning text to his son asking Are you up, mijo? — a time his family says they never communicated. Nothing was reported stolen at the scene. His black Dodge Charger was recovered dumped about a mile away.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded and investigators were seeking a black Ford Ranger seen leaving the scene shortly after the shooting; no arrests have been announced. Family members say there had been two other crimes on the street in the weeks before Rene’s death and believe he may have been an unintended victim. Rene was a father of four children and four step-children, an Army veteran, and was due to start a new job the day after he was killed.

Anyone with information about Rene’s shooting is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers.