(HOUSTON) -- A Houston-area police officer was shot in the face by a suspect armed with two automatic pistols with extended magazines, authorities said.
Crystal Sepulveda was injured early Saturday and hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.
"She's a strong officer, she will make it through this," Missouri City Assistant Police Chief Lance Bothell said at a news conference.
Sepulveda, who has been with the Missouri City Police Department for three years, suffered one gunshot to the face and another to the foot, he said.
The shooting took place early Saturday when Missouri City officers spotted a car that was suspected of being linked to an aggravated robbery on Friday, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters. Officers pursued the car, Finner said, and the suspect stopped in front of a house. The suspect then headed to the side or back of the house where he shot Sepulveda, Finner said.
The suspect fled on foot, and when he was found in a backyard, he opened fire on officers, Finner said. The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at a hospital, he said.
"We never celebrate the loss of life, but what could you do when a suspect is so violent?" Finner told reporters. "I ask for prayers for everybody involved, but certainly our men and women on the front line."