It happened Saturday evening at a home in the 6600 block of Eastleigh at Fawley near Uvalde Road and Highway 90.
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, 31-year-old Robert Jones was arguing with his mother about a cell phone.
Deputies said the mom grabbed a knife and started waving it around, but Jones' step-father stepped in and took the knife away from her.
That's when the two men got into a scuffle, officials said.
The knife ended up in Jones' neck and he died at the scene.
The step-father went with detectives for questioning. They referred the case to the district attorney's office for possible charges.
