HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A mother and her boyfriend turned themselves in Tuesday after the father of her child was found shot to death outside his apartment building Monday night during a custodial drop-off, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Homicide detectives said they are trying to figure out what led the woman's boyfriend to shoot the child's father and the two of them to take off with the toddler. Investigators are looking for surveillance video and witnesses who may be able to help them piece together what went down.
The shooting happened just before 10:30 p.m. outside of the Azul Apartments on TC Jester Boulevard and Bammel North Houston Road in northwest Houston.
Deputies said the victim was found shot dead in the middle of the parking lot.
Investigators said someone called 911 saying a man had been shot. The victim lived at the apartment and was in the middle of handing off his child to the mother in the parking lot when investigators said he got into a fight with her new boyfriend and was shot several times.
Deputies said the mother and boyfriend then took off with the baby. It’s still unclear if the child was inside or outside the vehicle when the shooting happened.
They said the boyfriend admitted to shooting and killing the father. Neither the woman nor her boyfriend is in custody and no charges have been filed. Detectives are working to find out if the shooting was an act of self-defense.