A suspect has been arrested following the fatal carjacking of a 90-year-old Navy veteran over the holiday weekend. State officials had offered a $15,000 reward following the murder of Nelson Beckett in Houston, Texas, on Saturday.
Police report that Beckett was found in a parking lot with gunshot wounds after Houston patrol officers responded to an assault in progress at an independent living community. According to law enforcement, a carjacker approached Beckett, assaulted him, and proceeded to shoot him. The suspect then took Beckett’s vehicle and belongings, fleeing the scene and running over Beckett in the process. Paramedics transported the elderly veteran to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Kyliel Denzel Arceneaux, 21, has been charged with capital murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence in connection with the slaying. Prosecutors say Arceneaux admits he saw Beckett, who used a walker, as easy prey.
Concerningly, Arceneaux was out on bond when the crime occurred, still awaiting trial for a 2022 evading arrest charge.
The victim’s son, Tim Beckett, told Houston’s ABC station KTRK, “He was always an outgoing person until his very last day. We’ll miss him.”