Family remembers 24-Year-Old father killed in Houston shooting

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This past week has been full of pain and agony for Sonia Mendez and her son Joshua.

"I was in disbelief. I had a lot of stuff already going on that day," Sonia said.

That day, they say, their loved one Nathaniel Mendez's life was cut short. Houston police have not officially identified him, but according to the Houston Police Department, officers responded to a shooting call at an apartment complex on April 18.

"As soon as I got the call from his partner, I stopped everything, and I turned back around. I went straight to where he was supposed to be," said Joshua Mendez, Nathaniel's brother.

Investigators say the victim was found shot to death in the driver's seat of his car. According to court documents, the suspect, Gabreal Geleta, came up to him while he was in the vehicle and fired a gun nine times.

Nathaniel's family tells ABC13 he was a 24-year-old father, something he took great pride in.

"He loved this child. He always wanted a family that he could take care of. Something that we never had. He wanted to be the father figure. He wanted to make sure that his family was happy," Joshua said.

Now, the family man who was living out his dream of being a father won't be there to watch his family grow.

But those closest to him will make sure his hard work won't be forgotten.

"At the end of the day, I know everything he did, it was for his babies, for his future, for his family. I don't want all his hard work to go to waste," Joshua said.