HOUSTON, Texas — A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after an argument with a driver in Houston’s Heights neighborhood ended in a fatal shooting, according to police and court records.
Jhoan Gomez is accused of shooting 30-year-old Dreliene Washington on Thursday after the two became involved in a confrontation on Cottage Street. Investigators said the men did not know each other before the encounter.
Police were called to the area and found Washington inside a Honda Civic that had crashed into a curb. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighters.
Investigators believe the confrontation began while Gomez was walking along the street. Court records indicate that the two became involved in an altercation, during which Gomez allegedly pulled out a firearm.
Authorities said video footage captured events leading up to the shooting and is being used as part of the investigation.
After the shooting, Gomez allegedly ran from the area on foot. Investigators later located and arrested him near the 400 block of Walton Street.
Gomez was formally charged with murder on Saturday and remains in the Harris County Jail. He is being held without bail, according to jail records.
The investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against Gomez have not been proven in court, and the murder charge is a formal accusation rather than a finding of guilt.
Washington’s death was also listed in a national gun-violence database as a fatal shooting in Houston on September 3, 2026.
