Police: Suspect allegedly shoots wife at lover's apartment

01:49 PM CDT on Sunday, March 8, 2009

By Leticia Juarez / 11 News

HOUSTON -- Four Houston police officers shot a suspect after a car chase in Northeast Houston.

Family members identified the suspect as 47-year-old Lonnie Punch.

Police say he was on the run after allegedly shooting a woman in the early hours of Saturday morning. Family has identified the victim as Punch's wife, 47-year-old Yolonda Punch.

According to witnesses, Lonnie Punch attacked his wife at her lover's apartment.

"The dude came out of the house and said that he was here to do what he had to do,” said Vanessa Edwards, who witnessed the shooting. "My sister and Yolonda tried to run away, but Punch caught up with Yolonda and shot her."

Family members say they aren't sure what exactly was going through Punch's mind. They say he was hurt that his wife had ended their marriage to re-start a romantic relationship with a woman she had met years ago.

They believe Punch may have gone to his wife's lover’s apartment to get revenge.

Punch took off after shooting Yolonda Punch, but police spotted his black Ford Explorer around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday near Tierwester and Maynard.

Police say they tried to stop Punch, but he led them on a brief chase through the city to his sister’s home in the 1300 block of Charnwood.

Once Punch arrived at his sister’s house, he got out of the SUV and ignored police orders to surrender. Instead he opened the back driver side door and pulled out a shotgun.

HPD officials say four of their officers were forced to shoot Punch.

Punch died at the scene.

Family say Punch was released from prison in 2008 after spending eight years in jail for first degree kidnapping of his wife.

He apparently had called his sister after the shooting and told her that he killed Yolonda Punch and was not going to go back to jail.