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'Why her?': Neighbors stunned by 75-year-old woman's random murder in Sharpstown neighborhood

Police said the woman was stabbed to death by a teenager who had been living in a stolen truck in her neighborhood for days.

HOUSTON — Police say a 75-year-old Sharpstown woman was murdered for simply opening her door to a stranger.

The suspect is a teenager who allegedly returned to the scene of the crime in the victim’s stolen car.

“Well, it makes me sad to think this kind of random act can happen anywhere in Houston,” said neighbor Greg Boe.

Friends and neighbors identified the victim as 75 year-old Etta Nugent.

Police said she was attacked sometime late Sunday or Monday morning by 19-year-old Marco Cobos who’d been living in a stolen truck in the area for the last couple of days.

“She was well loved,” said longtime neighbor and friend Sharon Shanahan.  “I loved her so much.”

Shanahan and Nugent were in the same prayer group at a catholic church right across the street.

“She’s just salt of the Earth, we’ve known each other for 35 years,” said Shanahan.  “I still can’t believe it, I’m still in shock about it.”

Police said Cobos returned to the scene Monday night in the car he took from Nugent’s home after stabbing her to death when she told him she couldn’t help him fix his truck.

“It doesn’t appear that he knew the victim,” said HPD Lt. Larry Crowson.  “He’d been in the area acting suspiciously.”

Shanahan never imagined the young man she thought was a day laborer would end up accused of killing her longtime friend.

“Why her?” said Shanahan. “Because she was such a gentle soul. I don’t understand.”

In addition to Nugent’s car, police said Cobos took several items from the house.

A capital murder charge is pending.

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