Detectives: Man lured to deadly ambush with burning van

Liberty County investigators say a man was fatally shot after he was lured outside by his burning family van.

The gunshots rang out just after midnight Sunday outside 45-year-old Vincente Rodriguez's home in the 500 block of Road 3405.

Rodriguez's wife says earlier, she and her husband were awakened by someone pounding on their front door. When she answered, a man asked about buying a lawn mower that was for sale. She looked up and noticed the family's van was on fire.

Rodriguez ran outside with a bottle of water, and while he was outside, a second man walked up and shot him multiple times. Detectives believe he was targeted.

"You would think so from the circumstances. He was destined to die because of multiple shots fired. Whoever did this was determined. It was a semi-automatic and we found some shells," said Capt. Ken DeFoor with the Liberty County Sheriff's Office.

The shooter was described as a Hispanic male between the ages of 35 and 40. He had a long pony tail. The second suspect was described only as a Hispanic male who may have been in his 30's.

Detectives say the suspects fled in separate vehicles: one was a white, older-model Ford, and the other was a newer, light-colored Chevrolet with what appeared to be a "fleck" paint job.

Anyone with information regarding this murder is asked to contact the Liberty County Sheriff's Office at 936-336-4500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867.