Man chokes common-law wife to death over how she was disciplining child, Texas cops say

About two hours after police were called to a couple’s child custody dispute at a Texas hotel, the man choked his common-law wife to death, according to local news outlets.

Officers with the Houston Police Department were first called to the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in southeast Houston at about 8:30 p.m., KHOU reported. Police left after the issues of child custody seemed to be resolved.

But at about 10:30 p.m., the dad called 911 to report his common-law wife was unconscious, according to KTRK. Harris County Precinct 8 constable deputies responded first and found the woman “with trauma to her neck.”

The mother died from her injuries, according to the local outlets. She was in her 20s.

The father of her children told police he had got behind the woman and began choking her because she was trying to choke one of their girls as a form of discipline, according to the Houston Chronicle. Their daughters are 1 and 3.

“He thought she was choking the baby or the child,” Lt. Ronnie Willkens told KHOU. “Not sure which one yet. He got behind her to put her in a chokehold to stop her. She went unconscious and that’s when he called us.”

The man, also in his 20s, was taken into custody, according to the Chronicle. The girls are with Child Protective Services.

McClatchy News reached out to the Houston Police Department for more information. An investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Man chokes common-law wife to death over how she was disciplining child, Texas cops say."