A Texas man with a history of three prior convictions is once again in custody, accused of fatally shooting an elderly woman during a home invasion this week. This incident occurred just days after a warrant had been issued for his arrest due to his alleged failure to appear in court.
Richard Mouton, aged 34, along with Tajuana Thomas, 38, faces charges of capital murder. The pair are accused of killing a 72-year-old woman in her home located in Houston’s Kashmere Gardens neighborhood on Monday, as stated by the Houston Police Department.
The authorities have yet to release the name of the victim.
Witnesses informed the police that Thomas had been upset with the victim for not posting bail for her on a previous occasion. The two allegedly argued frequently about this matter, according to reports from Click2Houston.
Mouton, now charged with capital murder, allegedly participated in the shooting of the 72-year-old woman during the home invasion in Houston on Monday, January 26, 2026, as per authorities. (Houston Police Department)
The tragic event took place around 1:50 a.m. on Monday, when the two masked suspects reportedly entered the victim’s home through an unlocked backdoor. Thomas had previously lived at this residence. They allegedly discovered the victim asleep on a couch, as reported by the outlet.
The pair reportedly demanded jewelry from the victim and pointed an AR-style rifle at her, leading to a shootout between both suspects and the 72-year-old woman.
The victim shot Thomas in the hip and Mouton in the face with a revolver, before being killed by gunfire, the outlet reported.
Tajuana Thomas, 38, is charged with capital murder after allegedly shooting a 72-year-old woman to death in a home invasion in Houston, Texas on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, according to authorities. (Houston Police Department)
Both suspects were subsequently transported to a local hospital, while the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
The alleged deadly home invasion is reportedly not the first time either suspect has had a run-in with the law.
At the time of the shooting, Thomas was out on bond stemming from a misdemeanor terroristic threat charge, Click2Houston reported.
Richard Mouton and Tajuana Thomas are accused of gunning down a 72-year-old woman in an alleged home invasion following a reported dispute in Houston, Texas on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (iStock)
Court records reportedly show in 2022, a victim told authorities that Thomas had been fired from her job before returning to her former place of employment and telling the victim she was going to “beat his a–.”
Meanwhile, Mouton was handed down a 60-day jail sentence in 2023 after being convicted of felony evading arrest while he was out on parole, according to FOX 26.
Mouton’s parole later ended in 2024, Click2Houston reported.
In July 2025, Mouton was reportedly arrested and charged with felon in possession of a weapon, evading arrest and drug possession.
Court records reportedly indicate he allegedly ran 1,500 feet from a traffic stop while carrying more than 100 grams of marijuana, nearly 12 grams of Xanax, 5 grams of ecstasy, 3.4 grams of cocaine, over 24 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm.
While Mouton had been out on bond since about a week after his arrest, records show he failed to appear in court on Jan. 22, the outlet reported.
His failure to appear reportedly resulted in authorities issuing a warrant for his arrest just two days before the alleged deadly home invasion.
“It’s always disturbing that you could be on parole, get a felony conviction, and still be on parole and not have your parole revoked,” Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers told FOX 26.
The Harris County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s comment regarding both Mouton and Thomas’ previous parole decisions prior to the alleged murder.
