Houston cops arrest man, 38, accused of shooting friend dead and leaving his son, 2, to die in car

Houston police have arrested a car thief who shot his friend to death before stealing his car and then letting his toddler inside to die in the blistering heat.

Bolanle Fadairo, 38, has been charged with the murder of Michael Essien and his two-year-old son, Micah, in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 20.

Essien, 38, got into an argument with Fadairo before he was shot and killed in front of his young son as the gunman fled in the victim’s SUV.

Micah was still in the back seat and was found hours later by officers who believe he died of heat exhaustion — with outside temperatures reaching 93F.

It is clear that Fadairo deleted messages between him and Essien before he was arrested, with officers confirming that the pair had arranged to meet.

The reason for the encounter has not yet been disclosed, but police charged at Fadairo, just yards from where the shooting happened at 4am on Wednesday morning.

Footage obtained by ABC shows Fadiaro putting his hands up and then on the hood of a police car after being surrounded by officers.

Essien’s wife reported that her husband and son were missing around 6:40 p.m., hours after he was shot multiple times by Fadairo at 1:45 p.m. in El Camino Del Rey.

The father of three leaves behind his wife and two other children, including a girl who was born just a week ago.

Officers discovered the stolen vehicle containing the toddler within five hours of his father being shot.

An autopsy report has yet to be completed on the toddler, but investigators believe he died of heat exhaustion after being left in the car since about 2 p.m.

Officers broke the glass of the SUV and tried to save the child, but he was pronounced dead when an ambulance arrived.

Essien’s sister, Jessie, told ABC that her cousin had just learned to pronounce her name and described her brother as a “peaceful man.”

She said, ‘All I want is my brother and my 2 year old who just learned to say ‘Aunt Jessie’.

“He called Aunt Jessie at church on Sunday. He ran and said, “Hello, Aunt Jessie”.

Michael has a 5-year-old son and a 1-week-old baby. Michael has a wife. Lord Jesus, all I need is my brother.

“Anyone who knows my brother knows that Michael is a peaceful man. Michael never argued with anyone.

“Michael takes the shirt off his body and gives it to other people to wear. Michael would give the last dime he has to other people.”

Investigators believe Fadairo met his victim at the agreed location, with the pair arguing before shooting his friend multiple times.

Essien fled a short distance before collapsing in the parking lot when Fadairo stole his Chevrolet Traverse with Micah in the back and fled.

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite told reporters, “We never knew about the child until she called. Unfortunately it was too late. The child had passed in the car.

“Right now we don’t know why or how or what the cause of death will be. It could be something like heat exhaustion, we just don’t know.

“That will be determined by autopsy later. “It’s the hardest thing we do. Children are innocent.’

Surveillance footage of the Fadairo shows him walking quietly through a grocery store after the murder, wearing black shorts, a white t-shirt and an Oakland Raiders baseball cap.

He will appear in court on Thursday in connection with the charges.