HOUSTON – A family’s New Year’s Day celebration turned deadly in east Houston after police said two stepbrothers got into a fight at a party.
Police said one of the men and his wife left the party and went to their home on Fawn Street near Normandy at about 4 a.m. Monday. The other man, identified as Phillip Mejias, 36, followed them, police said.
“When the (stepbrother) showed up, he was trying to get in, so he goes around to the backyard,” said Houston police Sgt. Steven Murdock.
Investigators said that Mejias was armed with a large shovel and used it to shatter a glass window. His stepbrother shot and killed him, investigators said.
For hours, crime scene investigators collected evidence from the scene, which they described as a 'big mess.'
Police said the stepbrother, along with five witnesses, was cooperating with the investigation.
Investigators said they will present the case to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and prosecutors will decide whether the stepbrother should face charges.