Family pleads for tips that will help catch a killer: 'If I was his mom, I'd turn him in'
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For Delisa Stepney, every day is a struggle.
"This is the worst nightmare a mother can ever go through," she said. "It's a pain that never goes away. I lost my child. That was a piece of my heart."
On Feb. 27, her son, 30-year-old Tre'veon Buckner, was shot to death while trying to stop a man from stealing his car.
According to the Houston Police Department, Tre'veon had gotten out of his car at a gas station in the 6000 block of the Southwest Freeway to talk to some friends. He left the car running and the suspect jumped in.
READ MORE: Man shot to death during chase after SW Houston carjacking
Tre'veon ran after his car and managed to get into the passenger seat. The vehicle was later found in the 9000 block of Renwick. Tre'veon was found dead inside with multiple gunshot wounds.
Police have not arrested the suspect.
"Somebody knows who this kid is, and we need to get him off the street before he hurts someone else's child," said Tre'veon's father, Stanley Buckner.
Now, Tre'veon's family is pleading for information and hope a cash reward they expect to double soon will be the catalyst someone needs.
It currently stands at up to $5,000 for information that leads to charges and/or an arrest.
"The person who saw him come home needs to be brave and turn that person in. You saw him come home bloody," said Vanessa Lloyd, Tre'veon's great aunt. "If I was his mom, I'd turn him in."
Tre'veon is included in data his family wishes he was not a part of.
"This gun violence .... I say it every day, I'm so sick of it."
According to Houston police, there have been 96 homicides this year compared to 73 during the same time last year. That's a 31% increase. In Harris County, there is an 8% increase from 24 homicides during the same time last year compared to 26 this year.
Homicides were up all of last year.
READ ALSO: Houston could hit 100 murders in less than 3 months, data shows
Tuesday afternoon, Harris County Commissioners approved $3 million of CARES Act money for the sheriff's office to combat the uptick in violent crime.
"This will help deal with some proactive policing that we will be able to implement as well as dealing with the backlog of cases that just, for lack of a better word, pile up over time because there's never any action," explained Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Tre'veon's family, however, is focused on one case.
They say Tre'veon was a hard worker and a good father to 10-year-old Jeremiah and to an unborn son. His fiancée, Kawana Solid, is currently five months pregnant.
"I'm going to keep his name alive. He will know about his father," Solid said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
