62-year-old woman shot and killed going to gym in southeast Houston
HOUSTON - A woman was shot and killed as she was going to the gym in southeast Houston this morning. It happened just before 5 am outside the Life Fit Personal Fitness Studio off Fuqua St. Police believe the suspects responsible may have come from a separate carjacking scene before, where they targeted another woman.
Investigators later identified the victim as Elsa Mikeska, 62 and released surveillance footage of the entire incident.
Tiffany Garcia and Lizbeth Ojeda swing by the La Michoacana for groceries almost every day. They live down the street in this usually, quiet family-friendly neighborhood.
"There’s a school right there and a daycare right there behind it," Garcia said.
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After Thursday morning, the women said they're now feeling paranoid.
"I make sure I'm looking around my surroundings, not go alone anywhere," Ojeda said.
Shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, Houston Police say Mikeska was heading to Life Fit Personal Fitness Studio when she was shot and killed in the parking lot.
"An older model white suburban, probably 2000 to 2007, pulled up near her. Passenger gets out of the car and there were some words exchanged. She starts running and one gunshot was fired," said HPD Detective Sgt. Thomas Simmons.
Investigators said Mikeska was shot in the back as she tried to run away. She died on the scene before paramedics could arrive, according to police.
Detectives believe two Hispanic males and one White male in their early to mid-20s may be responsible for the woman’s murder, as well as another attempted robbery just an hour before.
"A female's car was actually broken down and she thought they were pulling up to help her. They brandished a gun. [Mikeska] ran away and they supposedly rummaged through the car," Simmons said.
Thursday's incident brings the total number of murders for 2021 up to 213 murders.
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So far, no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 713-222-TIPS.