Dollar store employee charged with murder in shoplifting suspect’s death

Authorities say a dollar store employee has been charged with murder in the shooting of a man suspected of attempting to shoplift from the store. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the Houston Police Department (HPD) said officers on Sunday responded to a Family Dollar store, where they found that Antonio E. Batres, an employee at the store, had shot the victim. 

The Houston Chronicle reported that the victim has been identified as 49-year-old Troy Odom. 

Citing the findings of a preliminary investigation, authorities said store employees confronted Odom when he attempted to shoplift from the store, leading to him and Batres getting into a physical altercation. 

While Odom had his back turned, Batres pulled out a firearm and shot him several times, police said. 

Odom was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Batres, 21, has been charged with murder for his role in the incident. Batres had been a part-time employee at the Family Dollar store for two or three months, the Chronicle reported. 

Batres is currently being held in police custody on a $75,000 bond and has remained jailed since his arrest, according to the newspaper.