A 23-year-old Wharton man is wanted by the Wharton Police Department for two unrelated shooting incidents that occurred approximately two months apart.
At 10:57 a.m. on May 13, officers were dispatched to a shots fired call at 1200 West Milam Street.
According to Wharton Police Department Public Information Officer Ariel Soltura, the incident occurred after a verbal altercation between two men that resulted in two shots being fired.
The victim, a 38-year-old male, was on scene as WPD arrived to find him uninjured.
Interviews were conducted and the relationship between the two men is still under investigation, led by Det. Sgt. Jason Barker.
‘The Wharton Police Department will continue to monitor each assaultive offense within our city for signs that violence could erupt in the future.’
According to officials, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Raymond Deon Hughes Jr., 23, of Wharton, for his alleged involvement in the incident and a previous shooting on March 20.
At approximately 12:26 p.m., a Wharton police officer observed a speeding vehicle in the 1600 block of Martin Luther King Blvd. and attempted to pursue it due to its speed, Soltura said.
“Minutes later, the officer found the speeding vehicle parked in the OakBend emergency room parking lot,” he said. “Based on the condition of the subject it was clear he had been shot. At that time, officers gave way to OakBend emergency room medical staff so they could tend to the victim.”
According to Soltura, lead investigator of the March 20 incident, multiple shots were allegedly fired at the victim, Lloyd Finex, 36, of Wharton — an acquaintance of Hughes — in the 500 block of North Spanish Camp.
Hughes is wanted for two aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges and felon in possession of a firearm times two.
The May 13 shooting is the fourth incident this year being investigated by the Wharton Police Department.
Soltura explained that many cities receive calls to dispatch regarding what they perceive to be shots fired, though rarely are they found to be an actual offense.
“Most, if not all cities, within the U.S. experience shots fired calls or shootings within their borders,” he said. “Many turn out to be a vehicle backfiring or benign noises some believe sound similar to the firing of a handgun, while others are fireworks, especially during holidays, although forbidden by city ordinance.
“Only a small number of calls that our department answers each year turn out to be founded as it relates to gun-related incidents.”
As law enforcement seeks to arrest Hughes for his alleged involvement in both shooting incidents, Soltura told The County Gin that the investigations are still ongoing; however, “the Wharton Police Department will continue to monitor each assaultive offense within our city for signs that violence could erupt in the future.”
If you have information related to these offenses, please contact Dets. Barker and Soltura at 979-532-3131 or remain anonymous by visiting https://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/index.htm.
