Police say two suspects were wounded and charged after a shootout that left a 72-year-old homeowner dead.
HOUSTON, Texas — Investigators are examining a tight sequence of events leading up to a deadly home invasion early Monday, including a missed court appearance by one of the accused and his ongoing parole. The 72-year-old homeowner died in the exchange of gunfire; both suspects are recovering in custody.
The timeline now at issue began months earlier and narrowed in the days before the shooting. Police identified the defendants as Richard Mouton, 34, and Tajuana Thomas, 38. Mouton, a three-time convicted felon who remained on parole after a 2023 felony evading arrest conviction, failed to appear in court four days before the killing, according to advocates who track local cases. Crime Stoppers has questioned why parole was not revoked or tighter conditions imposed before Monday’s violence. Officials have not released the victim’s name as next-of-kin notifications continue.
Houston police said the break-in was reported around 1:50 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in the 4000 block of Lockwood Drive near Crane Street. A masked man and woman entered the house, and a shootout followed inside the home, investigators said. The homeowner, 72, was fatally struck. “It’s always disturbing that you could be on parole, get a felony conviction, and still be on parole and not have your parole revoked,” said Andy Kahan, director of Crime Stoppers. Detectives said people were inside the home at the time but did not appear to fire shots. Officers recovered shell casings for testing and canvassed for surveillance video along Lockwood.
Capital murder charges were accepted against Mouton and Thomas, who remained hospitalized Tuesday under guard. Police said both would be booked into the Harris County Jail once medically cleared. Investigators said the motive remains unknown. Authorities are working to determine whether the address was targeted and whether any prior contact existed between the suspects and the victim. Detectives are preparing a case file with ballistics results, witness statements, and medical examiner findings for prosecutors. The medical examiner will confirm the victim’s identity and manner of death after notifying relatives.
The case has reignited debate over bond and parole oversight in Harris County, where courts have faced backlogs and repeated arguments over who should remain jailed pretrial. Supporters of stricter supervision say Mouton’s record — multiple prison terms, a parole in place during a new felony, and a missed setting last week — highlights preventable risks. Parole deliberations are confidential by law, leaving unanswered which factors guided the earlier decision to keep supervision in place after the 2023 conviction and 60 days in county jail.
Procedurally, prosecutors could present the case to a grand jury within days, a routine step for capital charges in Harris County. If indicted, arraignments and bond considerations would follow in district court once both defendants are released from the hospital and formally booked. Police said they expect to update the public after initial lab results return and once the medical examiner releases the victim’s name. Any parole actions related to Mouton would be handled on a separate track by state officials.
On Tuesday afternoon, neighbors left flowers near the front walk as crews secured the doorway with fresh lumber. A cruiser idled at the corner while investigators measured bullet paths and photographed a cluster of markers in the grass. “She was a sweet lady,” a neighbor said softly, declining to be identified. The block was quiet by sunset, the yellow tape still catching the wind along the fence line.
As of Tuesday night, both defendants were still hospitalized in stable condition, police said. The next public milestone is expected after the medical examiner’s identification and when detectives deliver their first case packet to prosecutors later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 28, 2026.