Sugar Land, TX – Sugar Land police arrested Overeth Riascos Barahona, 40, a native of Columbia, today and charged him with first-degree murder.
Barahona was driving a Toyota Highlander that struck and killed Joseph Aponte, 56, of Needville, Wednesday. Missouri City police were pursuing Barahona and two other men when their Highlander collided with a city of Sugar Land truck driven by Aponte, a Public Works employee. The collision occurred on the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 90A at Gillingham Lane just before 10:30 a.m.
The three men burglarized a home in Missouri City shortly before the crash occurred. Police recovered stolen property from the burglary inside the Highlander.
Aponte died at the scene, and the three men in the Highlander were transported to a local hospital.
The hospital released Barahona today, and police transported him to SLPD for further investigation before he goes to the Fort Bend County Jail. Missouri City police arrested and charged the other two men with burglary.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Barahona. Detainers are placed on people who have been arrested and are not citizens of the United States. Barahona has a lengthy criminal history.