On August 8, 2023, at approximately 1:11 a.m., Pasadena police responded to reports of a fight accompanied by gunfire at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered 34-year-old resident Tynisha Houston suffering from gunshot wounds. She was promptly transported to a local hospital by Pasadena Fire Department paramedics but tragically succumbed to her injuries.
Investigations revealed that Houston and her neighbor, 54-year-old Pasadena resident Mark Anthony Levels, had engaged in a verbal dispute in a common area of the apartment complex. This argument, reportedly related to a tenant disagreement, escalated into a physical altercation, culminating in Levels allegedly shooting Houston.
Shortly after the incident, patrol officers located Levels within the same apartment complex and detained him without incident. He had sustained injuries during the altercation and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Detectives from the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit conducted a search of Levels' residence, recovering a firearm believed to be the murder weapon.
On August 10, 2023, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Levels with murder under California Penal Code 187(a). His bail was set at $3.1 million. The Pasadena Police Department continues to investigate the case and has urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
