A 47-year-old Texas construction worker’s tragic fall into a 30-foot septic well is now being investigated as a homicide, and officials have just released new details about how he died.
Lorenzo Gonzalez-Rangel suffered multiple blunt force injuries, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office believes he was in a physical altercation with a co-worker before plunging into the underground system.
The incident happened around 7:40 a. m. on Monday, July 13, at a construction site on Sheldon Ridge Way.
Deputies arrived to find the man unresponsive at the bottom of the deep shaft. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It’s possible the man was pushed,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. The coworker and others on site were reportedly detained as detectives worked the case.
Authorities later confirmed that the initial findings were shared with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing and will be presented to a grand jury. No arrests have been made so far.
The local fire department helped recover Gonzalez-Rangel’s body from the well, according to KTRK. A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family during this devastating time.
What exactly happened in those final moments before the fall, and will the coworker face charges?