On February 14, 2023, Judy Walters, a 65-year-old grandmother, was tragically killed during a carjacking at her apartment complex in Houston, Texas. The incident occurred around 7:55 a.m. in the 800 block of Yorkchester Drive. Witnesses reported that two young male suspects, wearing black bandanas, approached Walters as she was in her white 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.
The assailants shot her, forcibly removed her from the vehicle, and then fled the scene in her car, striking her as they drove away. Walters was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Following the incident, the Houston Police Department (HPD) launched an intensive investigation. Surveillance footage revealed that the suspects had been loitering around the apartment complex for approximately eight hours prior to the attack, suggesting that Walters may have been specifically targeted. Further evidence indicated that the suspects might have been involved in a prior disagreement with Walters, leading investigators to believe the crime was not random.
On March 14, 2023, HPD arrested 17-year-old Owen Leonardo Vilanova-Ardon in connection with Walters' death. He was charged with capital murder and held without bond. During court proceedings, prosecutors asserted that Vilanova-Ardon was the gunman, although he claimed that a second suspect, who remains unidentified and at large, was the shooter. The court set his bond at $600,000.
The stolen vehicle was later found abandoned in an empty garage at the deserted Sugar Hill Golf Course, approximately 10 miles from the crime scene. Authorities continue to search for the second suspect involved in the carjacking and have urged anyone with information to contact the HPD Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers.
Judy Walters was remembered by her family as a dedicated and loving grandmother who worked multiple jobs to support her grandchildren. Her tragic death has left a profound void in the lives of her loved ones, who continue to seek justice for her untimely passing.
