Osvaldo Casas, 37, died a day after his car was allegedly vandalized, police say

Authorities in Texas are investigating the killing of a man who was fatally shot while trying to chase suspected vandals, and died in his wife’s arms.

Osvaldo Casas, 37, was declared dead by medical personnel after he reportedly tried to confront vandalism suspects near his Houston, Texas, home over the weekend, per ABC 13, FOX 26 and KHOU 11.

Police did not release his name but the news outlets, along with a GoFundMe created by his family, identified him as the victim of the Saturday, Aug. 10, shooting.

The victim’s wife, who according to the fundraiser is due to give birth next month, tried to save his life and performed CPR before first responders arrived at the scene, the Houston Police Department said, per the outlets.

The previous night, someone had allegedly vandalized Casas’ car by throwing eggs and flour before escaping the scene in a black truck, the outlets reported, citing Houston police.

Early Saturday morning, neighbors reportedly saw a similar car and notified Casas, police said, prompting him to go outside and look around.

Shortly after he went down the street looking for the suspected vandals, his family and neighbors heard gunshots, police said, per the outlets. They saw Casas running back towards his home, bloodied, before he collapsed, per police.

His wife was reportedly trying to save his life and performing CPR when police arrived at the scene, HPD said, per ABC 13.

“She try to give him CPR, and he died in her hands,” Casas’ mother Blanca Aguirre told KHOU 11.

“I did it for maybe like 10 minutes until the police arrived, and they took over,” the victim’s wife Judith Molina told FOX 26. “But by that time I already knew he was gone. I knew he was gone.”

In the fundraiser set up to help with his funeral expenses, Molina said he died “while bravely protecting our family” and that he leaves behind his 16-year-old and an 8-year-old daughter.

“Osvaldo was overjoyed at the thought of meeting his baby boy and becoming a father to a son,” she wrote in the fundraiser, adding that he “had a special passion for the Dallas Cowboys.”

An investigation is ongoing.

Mom Allegedly Kidnapped 4-Year-Old, Kept Child Hidden in ‘Religious Compound’ Led by ‘Cult Leader’: Prosecutors

Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, 53, has been arrested alongside her son, sister and another person, per federal prosecutors

A Utah woman and her son were arrested on accusations they kidnapped her 4-year-old daughter, who was found on a religious compound a year after vanishing, according to federal prosecutors.

Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, 53, was indicted on kidnapping and conspiracy charges for allegedly abducting her child and transporting her across state lines while keeping her hidden for nearly 18 months, the ​​U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah said in a statement last week.

The child, who was not named in the statement, has been identified as Gracyn Drolet by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Davidson-Drolet, who prosecutors allege was accompanied by her son Jaxson Davidson, 30, among others, is accused of taking her “non-custodial child” from Utah and taking her to Springfield, Mo., in January 2023, where she allegedly kept Gracyn on a “religious compound” through July 2024, federal prosecutors say.

An arrest warrant was issued for Davidson-Drolet in December, per prosecutors.

“Prior to Drolet’s arrest, she was observed with the child who was located at a religious compound led by a religious cult leader, who is also related to Drolet,” prosecutors alleged in their statement released on Friday, Aug. 9.   

Alongside Davidson, the mother was also allegedly assisted by Dallas Davidson, 23, and Kristine Merrill, 53, per prosecutors. All four are in custody. One of the suspects is Davidson-Drolet’s sister, police said.

Utah officials say Davidson-Drolet allegedly hatched “an elaborate plan” to take Gracyn away from Utah and then hide her from her custodial father and law enforcement.

She allegedly planned the kidnapping over 14 months, prosecutors said. Davidson-Drolet allegedly used tools such as burner phones and postal services to help her hide her daughter, per the statement.

Merrill, Dallas and Jaxson allegedly assisted Davidson-Drolet in keeping their location hidden from law enforcement, prosecutors said.

All four suspects have been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, Utah prosecutors said.

Plea and attorney information was not immediately available for any of the suspects.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.