In the early morning hours of January 26, 2026, Linda Martinez, a 72-year-old woman, was killed in her Houston, Texas, home in a fatal confrontation with two intruders. The incident unfolded at approximately 1:50 a.m. on Lockwood Drive, where Martinez was asleep on her couch. Two masked individuals, later identified as 34-year-old Richard Mouton and 38-year-old Tajuana Thomas, entered the residence through an unlocked back door.
Thomas had previously lived at Martinez's home and was
reportedly upset with her for refusing to bail her out of jail, a point of frequent arguments between them. Armed with an AR-style rifle, the intruders woke Martinez and demanded her jewelry. In an act of self-defense, Martinez retrieved her revolver and a shootout ensued. She managed to shoot Mouton in the face and Thomas in the hip before succumbing to her own injuries at the scene.
Both Mouton and Thomas were transported to the hospital for their injuries and subsequently charged with capital murder. At the time of the home invasion, Mouton, a convicted felon, was out on bond for drug, weapon, and evading arrest charges, and a warrant for his arrest had been issued just days prior for skipping a court appearance. The two suspects remain in the hospital to recover from their wounds while facing the charges brought against them.
