Man Killed Roommate After Family Asked Him to Pay Rent

A Texas man who had been crashing rent-free at a family member’s apartment is now behind bars for allegedly killing his roommate after being asked to contribute to the bills.

Angel Gomez Montanez, 21, had been staying at a home in the 17000 block of Butte Creek Road in Harris County when things turned deadly. Authorities say he gunned down 18-year-old Christopher Rodriguez Lara after tensions over rent boiled over.

The fatal shooting happened around 10 p.m. on June 12. Deputies responded to reports of gunfire and found Rodriguez Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency crews arrived, but it was too late—he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Montanez, who fled after the shooting, was captured following a two-day manhunt. He now faces a murder charge and is being held in the Harris County Jail.

The motive, according to investigators, was shockingly simple: rent money. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the violence stemmed from an argument over contributing to household expenses.

Zuleyka Ortiz, whose children share a father with Montanez, said she and Rodriguez Lara had let him sleep on their couch for three months. But when they finally asked him to chip in, the situation turned tense.

“All we said was we needed help with the rent,” Ortiz told local station KTRK. “I told him this can’t be happening. We have bills to pay.”

Ortiz said Montanez initially left after the conversation but returned a few days later asking to speak to Rodriguez Lara. That’s when, according to authorities, he opened fire outside the front door.

Montanez also allegedly tried to shoot Rodriguez Lara’s brother and threatened to kill everyone in the apartment, a 9-year-old witness later told police.

Rodriguez Lara, described by Ortiz as “the happiness in this home,” was more than just a roommate—he was family. “My children loved him,” she said. “He made everything better just by being here.”