Sugar Land Police Arrest Colombian Man for First-Degree Murder in Fatal Collision

Sugar Land police arrested Overeth Riascos Barahona, 40, a native of Colombia, on Saturday, February 10, 2024, charging him with first-degree murder following a fatal collision on Wednesday. Barahona was driving a Toyota Highlander involved in the incident, which resulted in the death of Joseph Aponte, 56, of Needville.

Missouri City police had been pursuing Barahona and two other men when their Highlander collided with a city of Sugar Land truck driven by Aponte, a Public Works employee. The collision occurred on the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 90A at Gillingham Lane just before 10:30 a.m.

The three men had burglarized a home in Missouri City shortly before the crash. Stolen property from the burglary was found inside the Highlander.

Aponte tragically died at the scene, while the three men in the Highlander were transported to a local hospital.

On Saturday, Barahona was released from the hospital and taken to SLPD for further investigation before being transferred to the Fort Bend County Jail. The other two men were arrested by Missouri City police and charged with burglary.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on Barahona due to his non-citizen status and lengthy criminal history. Detainers are typically placed on individuals who have been arrested and are not citizens of the United States.