3 arrested after woman's child shoots boyfriend to death during fight, deputies say

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – A brother and sister accused of killing their mother's boyfriend appeared in a Harris County courthouse Wednesday morning.

Darlecia Johnson, 17, and Lavaris Harris, 19, were soft spoken as they stood before a judge.  Johnson had a bandage on her forehead, and Harris had a bandage near his throat. The bruises were possibly a result of a fight between them and Bennett White, who lived with them at a home in the 14000 block of Panhandle Drive.

Neighbors said they heard gunshots around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday and called 911, believing a home invasion was happening.

When deputies arrived, they found White, 40, dead on the front porch.

Investigators say he got into a fight with Johnson, Harris and their younger brother, who is 16 years old, while the mother was at work. There was also a 3-year-old girl in the house.

The mother came home for her lunch break to find her boyfriend dead. Investigators say the gun, which belongs to the mother - who is a security guard - was found in a neighbor’s backyard.

All three teens were arrested and charged with murder. Harris and Johnson were booked into the Fort Bend County Jail. The 16-year-old was taken to the Fort Bend County Juvenile Detention Center.

“With the kids involved it’s always shocking,” said Ed Smith who lives down the street.

The victim’s mother tells Channel 2 he had been living at the home with his girlfriend for a few months.  She says she has no clue why her son was shot.

Detectives said it appears the children did not agree with the man their mother was living with.  They said White was bigger than the teens, but the fight was three against one.

Bond for Johnson and Harris was set at $150,000 each.