Man arrested after admitting he killed girlfriend in northeast Harris County

A man was arrested Saturday night after telling authorities he killed his girlfriend during an argument in northeast Harris County.

Tomas Bautista, 21, was charged with murder after his 17-year-old girlfriend was found shot to death on Richards Road. In another case, a 26-year-old was charged after a woman was shot and killed following a fight near a north Harris County apartment complex. Northeast Houston has also seen a case in which a man said he killed his girlfriend after she was found shot to death, along with another disturbance in northeast Harris County where a woman was shot to death and a man was injured.

Abuse is not always physical. It can be emotional, psychological, financial, sexual or reproductive, and people around the couple may notice warning signs only in hindsight. Red flags include a partner who seems afraid, anxious to please, or careful to agree with everything the other person says or wants. Repeated jealousy, isolation, threats and control over money or a phone can be part of the same pattern.

Harris County residents looking for help can call AVDA, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, at 713-224-9911. The Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council directs survivors to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Houston Area Women's Center offers a 24/7 hotline, crisis response and residential emergency housing for survivors. If there is immediate danger, call 911. For non-emergencies in Houston, call 713-884-3131.