84-year-old woman hit, killed by stray bullet allegedly fired by man near Bear Creek Park, HCSO says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A 19-year-old is facing a manslaughter charge after a stray bullet hit and killed an 84-year-old woman inside her Bear Creek Park home back in March, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting happened in the 5600 block of Saddlebred Drive on March 7, 2026.

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The woman found injured in her home was identified by HCSO as Joanne Bennett. Officials said she was rushed to the hospital, where she died three weeks later.

HCSO sent a release on Thursday that said 19-year-old Joshua Ramos was arrested on a manslaughter charge in the shooting. Ramos is accused of firing a weapon aimlessly in the residential neighborhood of the Savanah Estates and hitting Bennett, who neighbors said was cleaning her kitchen at the time, according to officials.

Neighbors who spoke to ABC13 said hearing gunshots is nothing new for the area.

"It's actually gotten worse, as I said, it's an everyday, every night thing, sometimes waking us up out of our sleep," a neighbor who did not wish to be identified said. "Two, three, four in the morning, they're back there shooting."

The neighbor said they've called the sheriff's office several times, but said deputies arrive, patrol for less than an hour, and leave, which is when the gunshots continue. When asked by ABC13 about the frequency of shots-fired reports in the Bear Creek area, HCSO could not immediately provide statistics on how often they respond.

Officials said Ramos has since been booked into the Harris County Jail.