Friends of grandmother killed in front of Pearland gym seeking justice

PEARLAND. Texas - A Pearland grandmother who was shot and killed a week ago outside a Southeast Houston gym was laid to rest Thursday. After the funeral several of her friends spoke with FOX 26. 

Elsa Mikeska’s circle of friends is a tight knit group, who are very much in mourning now that one of them was taken too soon.

"This is something you see on the ID Channel. It’s not in your life. You just watch it on TV," friends Robin Little, Kathy Comerford, Judy Johnson, Valerie Freeman, Patty Zuniga, Susanne Casteel, Betty Audish, Marcie Ubernosky and Johnna Little said.

Just after a homegoing service for 62-year-old Elsa Mikeska, her friends met up with us to reminisce about their dear sweet sister with the contagious laugh.

"It was just fun to be around her. It was always a relaxing time. She was just a great person," says Kathy Comerford.

"She’s going to be dearly missed," adds Robin Little while choking back tears. 

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These ladies have been bike riding together since the start of COVID and they call themselves, well quite a colorful name. 

"We are the Biker Buddies," they laugh. "Ok, that’s the PG version right?" FOX 26 asked. "Yes.  Off camera we’ll tell you the other one".

 "We had a bike ride that lasted until 10 o’clock one night," smiles Johnna Little. As the country re-opened, Elsa, who was very much into fitness, looked forward to more than just bicycling. 

"She was ready to go back to a gym to work out, and she wanted me to go with her to that gym and join it with her, and all I can think about is what if it had been me and her," says Valerie Freeman. 

It was the 62-year-old Great Grandmother who headed into the Life Fit Gym on Fuqua alone last Thursday to get in a workout before work, but she never made it. 

Surveillance video showed a white Suburban parking next to her, a gunman gets out of it in the dark parking lot, and says something to her. Then he opens fire on her. Minutes earlier, police say the same men robbed another woman who’s vehicle was stalled on the side of the road. 

"To have Elsa run and they shoot her anyway, that’s just a coward act and heartless, and all they did was break a lot of hearts for a lot of family and friends," said Comerford. 

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There is now a $15,000 reward if you know who these men are. 

"Turn these people in because we’ve got to get them off of the streets, so they don’t do this again to anybody else, and so no other family will have to suffer like this," said Freeman. 

"You don’t want these criminals in your neighborhood. So it’s not just about Elsa. It’s the next Elsa that is out there," said Audish.  

The friends say they find comfort in knowing exactly where their beloved friend is, and with Elsa Mikeska around they say there will never be another out of shape angel.