HOUSTON – 35-year-old Keith Lee is charged with murder and three counts of causing injury to child. Family members identified his wife as 33-year-old Christina Abner.
Smart, kind and a loving mother, is how Lela Fuselier describes her childhood friend, Christina Abner.
“She was a very bubbly girl who she was friendly to everybody. She knows how to take a joke,” said Fuselier.
On Friday, Fuselier learned Abner’s husband, Keith Lee, was arrested for allegedly killing her and beating their three children.
“It is almost surreal, like this should have never happened,” said Fuselier.
Ring video showed Lee on top of a roof where police took him into custody. That same camera showed two of the children running to a neighbor’s home for help. Inside the family’s home, police found Abner with multiple gunshot wounds and the 2-year-old boy with serious injuries.
Court records show Lee bit their 10-year-old son. He used his hands and an unknown object to hurt the four and 2-year-old, according to police. Detectives said Lee pointed a gun into the body of at least one of the children. Investigators said some of their injuries include a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage and a collapsed lung.
Lee was out on bond for a different crime, records show, He was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident on December 4. He was also arrested in October on a harassment charge. In that case, he was accused of threatening Abner and her family member. The case was dismissed because the court found probable cause did not exist. In 2010, he was arrested for hitting Abner. He pleaded guilty and was given probation. Lee was convicted in 2016 for possession of a controlled substance.
HPD told KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel on Friday that officers had been at the couple’s home three separate times in the past six months for disturbance calls.
“I definitely feel like my friend was a very strong girl and she wanted to stay visualized as a strong person,” said Fuselier.
No matter how strong, Fuselier hopes more women will speak up if their family could be in danger.
Abner’s family members told KPRC 2′s Corley Peel they are with the three children who are still in the hospital. HPD is also at the hospital. It is unclear when Lee will be transported to the Harris County Jail.
In an effort to help victims, KPRC 2 News created a series, “Breaking Free,” reporting on domestic-related violence and its horrific consequences. The series showcased various stories of survival, heartache, and some even ending in death, but each shared a list of free domestic violence resources on how to get help. Do you know someone in need of help? KPRC 2 released the following features in “Breaking Free.”
Breaking Free: The state of domestic violence in Texas
Breaking Free - What is emotional and psychological abuse?
Breaking Free: Helping African Americans de-stigmatize abuse, learn to ask the right questions
Breaking Free: The red flags of an abusive relationship and tips on how to leave
Breaking Free from Domestic Violence: Far too many cases to count in Harris County
Breaking Free: Ways loved ones can support domestic violence victims
Do you need help? Free Domestic Violence Resources
Help is also available immediately if you need it through the following numbers:
Houston Area Women’s Center: (713) 528-2121
National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799−7233
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.