A brief confrontation between two strangers escalated into a fatal shooting in Houston's Heights, according to police and court records. Investigators say surveillance video captured much of what happened. HPD investigate a fatal shooting in the 700 block of Cottage Street in Heights neighborhood of Houston on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Bail was set at $250,000 this week for a 19-year-old who was charged with murder after authorities say he snuck out from a trip to get wings with his mom and brother and fatally shot a driver leaving Whataburger in the Heights.

Jhoan Gomez was later arrested in connection with the Sept. 3 shooting, which happened shortly after 1 p.m. in the 700 block of Cottage Street in the Heights. Houston police officers who responded to the scene found a gray Honda Civic crashed into the curb with the engine still running, authorities said.


The driver, Drelien Washington, 30, had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neither Gomez nor Washington has a criminal history in Harris County, court records show. A message was left with Gomez's attorney Tuesday.

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Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station captured the shooting, showing a thin, Hispanic male with floppy hair walking up to the driver's side window of the victim's car, court records state.

Police identified the male as Gomez through witness descriptions and black basketball shorts they found at Gomez's home after obtaining a search warrant, court records state. Gomez was seen on the surveillance footage having a short conversation with Washington before shooting him multiple times through the open driver's side window, court records state. Gomez then fled on foot, court records state.


Gomez walked to a nearby park later that day and saw police cars, according to court records. He ran but was caught.

In an inter

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