Young Woman Shot Dead While Talking on Cell Phone

A young woman is dead after being shot while driving in an upscale area of southwest Houston, and now police are looking for her killer and a motive.

It happened just after midnight Monday at a townhome complex on Augusta near Woodway in the Galleria area.

Police identified the victim as 30-year-old Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a medical student.

The crime has baffled homicide detectives who spent the day trying to figure out what happened. They hope Bagherzadeh's ex-boyfriend, who was on the phone with her when she was shot, will be able to help.

He voluntarily came forward to speak with police and is not considered a suspect.

"I'm in shock that somebody killed her. I don't understand how that's even possible. She was such a sweet girl. She was just this little girl," said Lorena Lopez.

Lopez is friends with the victim's ex-boyfriend and was with him as he spoke with Bagherzadeh on the phone before she was killed.

"Next thing I know he tells me she screamed for her life, and he heard the tires screeching on her car and then there was silence," said Lopez.

Someone shot Bagherzadeh as she pulled into the townhome complex where she lives with her parents.

The victim rounded a corner, and then crashed into a garage. When police arrived the car's tires were still spinning, and there were valuables still inside the car.

"The victim was shot from outside the vehicle. The gunshot looks like it came from the passenger side,"said Sgt. J.C. Padilla.

Several residents called 911 and reported hearing two gunshots.

"It's scary because I live over here, and I'm a single mom," said Cherise Mousa, a resident.

It happened in the back of the complex, opposite from where Bagherzadeh lived.

Detectives returned to the scene and collected surveillance video. They hope it and the ex-boyfriend will provide some clues.

"Our intent is to find out exactly what he heard during the conversation with the victim," said Padilla.

Bagherzadeh was studying molecular technology at M.D. Anderson. On Facebook, friends are grieving her loss. One writes, "Everything feels like a horrible dream."

Anyone with information can call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

FOX 26 Senior Web Producer Doug Delony contributed to this report