James Ochoa accused of shooting girlfriend to death in Houston apartment near S. Loop and 288

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 33-year-old man who Houston police said drove off to the Austin area with a baby and told officers he had killed his girlfriend has been identified.

James Christopher Ochoa has been charged with murder but remains in Cedar Park police custody Tuesday. According to HPD, Ochoa is accused of shooting and killing his 32-year-old girlfriend whose body was found Monday morning in an apartment on El Mundo Street near Holly Hall.

Ochoa claimed at Cedar Park police headquarters that he had killed the woman in Houston, HPD said. That led patrol officers and paramedics to respond to the apartment where the woman’s body was located.

As of mid-morning Tuesday, it’s not immediately known when Ochoa is expected to arrive in Houston to face the charge. The victim’s identity remains pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences,

James Ochoa, 33, seen here in a booking photo, is accused of killing his 32-year-old girlfriend whose body was found in a Houston apartment.

Williamson County Jail

The baby who was with Ochoa was not harmed, but HPD has not confirmed his relationship with either the suspect or the victim.

Records show Ochoa had previously been charged last September with assault of a pregnant woman. In February, the case went before a grand jury, which found that evidence wasn’t sufficient enough to formally charge Ochoa.