A Houston man faces murder charges for the April shooting of an Afghan refugee over a parking dispute, but no arrest warrant has been issued.
HOUSTON — A Houston man has been indicted on murder charges in the April shooting death of an Afghan refugee and U.S. military interpreter, but authorities have not issued an arrest warrant.
Katia Bougere, 31, was indicted in the killing of Abdul Waziri, who served alongside U.S. Green Berets during the war in Afghanistan. After his time as an interpreter, he was relocated to Houston when the unexpected incident occurred.
Prosecutors said the incident began as a dispute over a parking spot and escalated when Bougere allegedly grabbed a gun and fired multiple times, killing Waziri. The shooting happened at an apartment complex in Houston.
When KHOU 11 first reported on the case in May — nearly three weeks after the shooting — Houston police said the suspect, now identified as Bougere, had confessed to the shooting but was not arrested at the time.
This week, a Harris County grand jury returned a murder indictment against Bougere. However, instead of issuing an arrest warrant, the Harris County District Clerk’s Office issued a summons for Bougere to appear in court.
“After being indicted by a grand jury, the clerk’s office issued a summons requiring the defendant to appear in court,” the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to KHOU 11.
Bougere is scheduled to appear in court next Tuesday. It is still unclear why an arrest warrant was not issued following the indictment.
Waziri’s death has drawn attention because of his service to the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan.