HOUSTON — A man has been charged with murder after being accused of killing a woman at their home in southeast Houston Friday.
He has been identified as Keith Marion Lee, 35. He has also been charged with three counts of injury to a child after police said he beat his three children that he shares with the woman he shot to death.
Court documents identified the woman as Christina Abner.
The night she was killed, a security camera caught two of her three children, a 10-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, running to a neighbor's home, pleading for help. Both appeared to have been physically hurt, police said.
"The little girl kept screaming, 'My little brother, he's still in the house, he's still in the house!' She said, 'He shot my mother, he shot my mother,'" the neighbor said, describing the scene. "The daughter, if it weren't for her, they probably wouldn't be alive today."
Police were called to the home on Enyart Street in the South Union community around 1:20 a.m. They found Abner dead, a 2-year-old hurt and Lee on the roof of the home. He was eventually taken into custody and hospitalized for some sort of medical condition before being taken to jail on Saturday.
All of the children were taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said the two younger children had suffered fractures to their faces and heads. According to court documents, the 10-year-old child was bitten in addition to being beaten.
When we spoke to neighbors, they said things haven't always been volatile between the family of 5.
"When they first moved over there, they were normal," neighbor Roderick Spradley said. "Out of his own mouth, he told me he got hold of some wet PCP. A bad change in the household. More arguing...the kids sitting outside by themselves."
HPD said officers have been called to the same home three times in the last six months and arrested Lee in October on one of those calls.
Spradley said he predicted something like this would eventually happen.
"I did tell a couple of officers, there's weapons in the house because he's admitted to having weapons," Spradley said he once told police. "There are kids in the home and if something's not done, something bad is going to happen."
Court records show Lee has a criminal record. He has two convictions for possession of marijuana and one for possession of cocaine. In 2010, he was convicted of domestic violence after hitting Abner.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said he had four previous drug possession convictions. That is inaccurate and has been updated.
His next court date is scheduled for Monday.
Resources for victims of domestic or family violence
Domestic and family violence cases in the Houston area have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.
The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.