Houston teen accused of shooting stepfather in the head in crowded restaurant

A 16-year-old boy was charged with fatally shooting his stepfather during a celebration at a full-capacity restaurant, police say. 

Houston police said the family was celebrating a birthday at the Shabu Zone,11200 Bellaire Blvd., around 6 p.m. April 28, when the stepson got up and went to the bathroom. The teen reportedly came back with a pistol in his hand and shot the stepfather once in the head, then ran out of the restaurant.

Authorities caught the teen because Houston police officers, who had just happened to be in the parking lot writing a report, were flagged down by a restaurant security guard, according to ABC 13.

Police said the victim was a 48-year-old Asain man who had been around the family for nearly 10 years. HPD Assistant Chief Ban Tien said in a tweet, "I want to reiterate to our AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community that this is believed to be a family violence incident."

He told the press that police were stationed nearby on a separate investigation, and Houston Police are beefing up their presence in areas where crime is increasing.

"My chief of police Troy Finner has directed all police officers, go at an uncommitted time, while they write a report, to be a presence in the high density and high traffic areas. This is one area, so they just happen to be there. It is extremely fortunate they were there, and they were quickly able to diffuse and apprehend the suspect," Tien said at a press conference.

Authorities have not released the victim’s name, nor have they identified the suspect.