Miriam Martinez Pol, 56, was fatally shot in her southwest Houston apartment at 8700 Gustine Lane on October 8, 2023. Officers arrived about 5:20 p.m. and found her with a gunshot wound to the head; she was taken to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center and pronounced dead. A friend who was present said they heard Martinez Pol scream and later found her bleeding near the front door. Earlier that day she had contacted police about an issue involving her ex-boyfriend and a report was filed.

Investigators identified 40-year-old Roger Betancourt-Castillo as the primary suspect; surveillance footage reportedly shows him entering Martinez Pol’s second-floor apartment shortly before the shooting. On November 3, 2023, the Houston Police Department announced murder charges and issued an arrest warrant; he remains at large and authorities have released his photographs. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest, and tips can be reported to the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Did anyone in the community see Betancourt-Castillo near Gustine Lane on October 8, 2023, or have information about his whereabouts?