21-year-old killed after finding friend's stolen vehicle at Cloverleaf area chop shop, deputies say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 21-year-old was shot and killed at an apparent chop shop in east Harris County on Monday, according to deputies.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office posted about the shooting on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The location is known in the community to be a chop shop and dumping ground for stolen vehicles and stolen vehicle parts," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on social media.

Gonzalez said 21-year-old Sherwin Mireles found out that his friend's stolen truck was at the shop, and at about 5 a.m., he jumped the fence of the business, located on Brownsville Street in the Cloverleaf area.

Investigators said Mireles apologized when he got caught, but an employee, identified as Jorge Zuniga Martinez, allegedly shot him anyway.

First responders pronounced Mireles dead at the scene, and Zuniga is facing murder charges.