Arrest in slaying that unsettled Houston's Chinese

Houston's Chinese community is relieved that a suspect has been charged in the fatal shooting of a PetroChina employee in December, but members still have safety concerns, and some are talking about arming themselves.

On Wednesday, Kenia Lashan Wilkins, 21, was charged with capital murder in the killing of Bo Meng, 30, a Chinese citizen.

HPD reported that around 11 pm on Dec 26, witnesses heard a gunshot in the Camden Holly Springs apartment complex. They then found Bo wounded and attempted to provide medical assistance. HFD paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced her dead.

According to witnesses, a dark-colored, four-door sedan sped away from the scene. An investigation led to Wilkins, and she was taken into custody on Wednesday without incident.

Fang Zhenqun, China consul and chief of Chinese community affairs in Houston, said that HPD had notified the Chinese Consulate General of the arrest on Wednesday.

Consul General Li Qiangmin had met with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Jan 6 to push for an arrest in the case.

"We are working with PetroChina to offer Bo's family whatever assistance they need," Fang said. "We appreciate HPD's effort in solving this case in such a speedy fashion. We will continue to work with HPD to ensure the safety and rights of Chinese individuals and entities in our jurisdiction."

Mark Jensen, vice-president of PetroChina International (America), said police told the company that the investigation will continue.

"We are glad of the arrest of the suspect in the killing of Bo. We are grateful for the quick action of HPD and the team of Detective (Thomas) Ferguson in the apprehension of the suspect. Bo was a valued and treasured employee of our organization," Jensen said.

Bo's relatives have obtained visas and are expected to arrive in Houston in the next couple of days, according to Jensen.

The HPD, the consulate and Southwest Management District (SMD) will hold a town hall meeting on Jan 19 at the Chinese Community Center to address safety issues.

"It's also an opportunity for the Chinese community to meet with the newly appointed HPD Chief Acevedo," said Alice Lee, executive director of SMD.

Lee said that Bo, a relative newcomer to the US, appeared to be a victim of a random crime.

"Here the culture is different from in China where she probably would never expect to be shot," Lee said. "Newcomers usually do not know what they need to be aware of. A person needs to be more observant of their environment to stay safe here, and we hope this town hall meeting will help people how to do that."

Zeng Chong, a gun owner and instructor, said that the case, like other crimes concerning Chinese or the neighborhood, had people wondering whether crime is getting worse.

"Recently, more and more people are asking me about owning a gun. I don't know if there are more people buying guns, but certainly more people are considering the option," Zeng said.

Zeng said "it was an unexpected attack from what I read. Having a gun with you might not do any good in that situation. However, gun owners are usually more aware of the surroundings because of the safety instructions they had to go through. That knowledge could make a big difference," Zeng said.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com