Man arrested, charged after 21-year-old Nepali student found shot to death inside her SW Houston apartment

HOUSTON – A 51-year-old man has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the death of a 21-year-old Nepali woman, officials with the Houston Police Department confirmed Thursday.

KPRC 2 was the first to report that 51-year-old Bobby Singh Shah was arrested Wednesday evening during a traffic stop in northwest Houston in a coordinated effort by HPD SWAT officers, the HPD Crime Reduction Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

He was then booked into the Harris County Jail and charged with capital murder because police believe he robbed 21-year-old Muna Pandey as well.

Pandey was found shot to death in her southwest Houston apartment on Monday. She has been in Houston since 2021 studying nursing at Houston Community College.

• SEE ALSO: Student from Nepal found shot to death in SW Houston apartment, suspect now in custody

According to Pandey’s friends, she worked at a phone store, and she used to work at a Nepalese restaurant in the Houston area. Pandey’s manager from the phone store told KPRC 2′s Bryce Newberry that former coworkers recognized Shah from HPD’s surveillance photo because he used to be a customer when Pandey worked there more than a year ago.

The relationship between Pandey and Shah is not clear.

WHAT HAPPENED

Houston police responded to reports of a body at an apartment complex located at 6363 West Airport Boulevard. When authorities arrived, they found Pandey dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled her death a homicide.

Two days later, on Wednesday, police released a surveillance image timestamped at 9:48 p.m. on Saturday, showing who is believed to be Shah leaving Pandey’s apartment.

Friends of Pandey told KPRC 2 that they did not recognize Shah and had not heard from Pandey since Saturday. Her phone’s location stopped pinging that evening. Her friends believe her phone was stolen.

Investigators have yet to determine a motive for the killing. Friends speculate that Pandey may have been followed home from work, noting her cautious nature and habit of double-locking her apartment door. They also helped her install the surveillance camera that captured the suspect.

Pandey’s mother is now seeking an emergency visa to come to the U.S. to pursue justice for her daughter. Muna was her only child.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS.