A Marine Corps veteran was found shot dead on the side of a Texas road after wrapping up his Uber driving shift.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies responded to a call of a pedestrian possibly involved in a hit-and-run at around 11 p.m. on Sept. 4 and found 28-year-old Jake Hieu Quoc Nguyen lying on the side of a road about 20 miles outside downtown Houston, according to a news release.
As officers went to check on Nguyen’s condition, they found he had suffered a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police immediately launched a homicide investigation into his death.
It remains unclear if Nguyen — who spent four years in the Marine Corps — was killed in the spot he was found, or at a different location.
However, detectives suspect Nguyen was inside a vehicle that crept out of a nearby apartment complex and crashed, leaving tracks in the grass, Click2Houston reported.
Investigators also believe that he was dragged to the location and that whoever dumped his body then drove off in the vehicle.
Nguyen’s car — the one he was using that night to drive for Uber — is also missing.
“At the time he was driving that night, he had a rideshare from Uber,” the victim’s brother, Matthew Nguyen, told Fox 26.
“He picked up one customer and dropped him off downtown. After that, he still had some people in the car. Uber confirmed that’s the last time they heard from him.”
His grieving brother said that Nguyen was the oldest of five and worked as an Uber driver to help support his mother and sister.
Nguyen was also in the process of studying to become an EMT before he was killed.
“It’s just so hard to believe,” Matthew Nguyen said.
“I had just spoken to him on Tuesday, and he sounded like he finally figured some stuff out. Then we get a call on Friday… and this is the case.”
A spokesperson for Uber told Fox 26 that his death is a “devastating tragedy” and that they have been fully cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate his murder.
Matthew Nguyen said he hopes those responsible for his older brother’s death will come forward and accept “responsibility for what’s been done.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help his family “make ends meet” now that Nguyen is gone and cover some of the funeral expenses, described him as an “easy going guy, and always came through when needed.”
“Our family will remember him as a hero in many ways and his legacy will live on through those who knew of his quiet but ventureful nature,” the page’s organizers, Tuan And Vivian Nguyen, wrote.
“He truly embodied the cores of dedication and loyalty as he would sacrifice his time and resources to help anyone in need. Semper Fi.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs is covering some of his burial costs, according to the crowdfunding page.
Anyone with information regarding the Marine’s death should contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS.
Crime Stoppers is also offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
