Ricardo "Ricky" Resendez Jr., 28, was driving home from work Saturday to his family's Second Ward home. They had planned to celebrate the birthday of his father, Ricardo Resendez Sr., over dinner. He never made it.
At 1:30 p.m., Houston police say a man, identified by Harris County Precinct 6 as now terminated Deputy Constable Rigo Vivar, slammed into Resendez Jr.'s vehicle, killing him. Police say Vivar was driving the wrong way down the road. Precinct 6 said preliminary investigation shows he was on his way into work, in uniform.
"It causes a chain reaction," Resendez Sr. said of his son's loss.
The crash happened just a few hundred feet from the family's home. Now, the house and their street all serve as immutable reminders of his absence.
"Just all of us sitting and being together, that was enough. It was always enough. And now his seat's gonna be empty," his sister Brenda Resendez said.
The family told ABC13 his dog Bambino is still waiting for him to fill the seat.
"Every day (Bambino) is waiting by the door, just waiting for him to come home," Resendez Sr. said.
Vanessa Resendez described her brother as a "rule follower."
She told ABC13, "He followed the law, and I just think it's terrible that the law turned its back on him."
Brenda Resendez said you "could just tell (her brother) was good."
Resendez Jr. obtained a degree in kinesiology from his beloved alma mater, the University of Houston. He worked at Bush Airport while establishing a career in sports medicine.
"He always wanted to stay in Houston. He wanted to stay in Houston and he wanted to get married and have kids. He wanted his little family and he just wanted to be near the rest of us because we are each other's life. We've always been together. We thought we would always be together. He just wanted to be happy like everyone else, and he was on his way," Brenda Resendez said.
The family told ABC13 they feel Vivar should be charged with murder. They are asking the Harris County District Attorney's Office to "hold him accountable."
ABC13 spoke with Vivar outside his home on Monday. He referred ABC13 to his attorney, but choking back tears, he said he wanted the Resendez family to know he was sorry.
"He's at home right now. Probably eating a steak, and my son's in the next room over there. It's just not fair. 'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it," Resendez Sr. said while sitting inside a funeral home at his son's visitation on Tuesday.
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