Woman in custody after her ex-husband found dead outside home in Baytown, deputies say
BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- An investigation is underway after a man was found dead outside of a home in east Harris County Sunday morning, according to investigators.
Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting stemming from domestic violence at about 6:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of Wallflower Avenue.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a body on the front lawn. Investigators said the woman, who they believe shot the man, went to a nearby home.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the woman is cooperating with investigators, but it is unclear if any charges will be made.
In an update, deputies said an argument started inside the home between the divorced couple.
Investigators believe the man was shot inside the home and collapsed outside on the lawn.
SEE ALSO: Houston-area domestic violence homicides doubled in 3 years, UH study finds
"They still cohabitate or live together, is what we are told. We don't know what their living arrangements were," Gonzalez said in a news conference. "We'll have to determine exactly what happened, what led up to the shooting."
Although details are limited, the sheriff said this isn't the first time authorities had to check on the home. He said a previous call for service was issued before an arrest was made at that time, in a case unrelated to Sunday's deadly shooting, but they are working to clarify who was taken into custody.
"We don't know if it was related to the couple or not. We'll have to get those details," Gonzalez said. "But, an arrest was made. We just want to confirm (whether or not) it was the same individual."
SEE ALSO: New bill in Texas Senate would mandate domestic violence training for judges across the state
Just last week, the Houston Area Women's Center launched a campaign to help victims of abuse with safety planning as a response to the dramatic uptick in domestic violence-related deaths.
"The uptick in domestic violence is significant. We saw it during COVID, and it seems like it's not slowing down," Gonzalez said. "If you suspect that a loved one is going through some type of domestic violence situation, just help get them information. It really is a matter of life and death."
If you need help getting out of a domestic violence situation, call the Houston Area Women's Center 24/7 hotline at 713-528-2121 or call AVDA at 713-224-9911. You can also click here to chat with an advocate online. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need help, call 713-528-3625.
WATCH: Houston Area Women's Center launches safety planning campaign as domestic violence deaths soar
For more on this story, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
