CONROE, Texas — Years before a gunman opened fire at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, residents of this small neighborhood said they had run-ins with the suspect and were terrified.
Six women who live in a neighborhood in Conroe, a north Houston suburb, said the woman, Janeth Yvonne Moreno, targeted them, harassed them, threatened them, displayed firearms and made them fear they were outside their homes.
Late Monday afternoon, the women held a press conference in their driveway. House's Explaining what they said they had endured and criticizing what they said Officials did not respond to reports about Moreno.
“No one should have died. No one should have been hurt. This should have been dealt with years ago and here it is again,” said Jill, the neighborhood association president. said, but declined to give her last name for fear of retaliation.
Moreno opened fire Sunday afternoon during a service at Houston's Lakewood Megachurch, authorities said. Her 7-year-old son was also with her at the time, authorities said.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Monday that the boy was injured and “fighting for his life.”
A 57-year-old man who was also bruised has also been released from the hospital.
Two off-duty police officers at the church returned fire, killing Moreno.
No one answered the address where authorities say Moreno lived, and no one answered a business card left at the door. Late Monday afternoon, someone at the home taped a dated sign to the front door that read, “I don't want to talk to anyone. Please leave my property. Thank you.”
In the neighborhood, all but Moreno's home has tidy lawns and a few plants and planters. There are small concrete statues of rabbits, fairies, and angels. Metal birds and butterflies on sticks are planted around the tree. Wind chimes are hung from the eaves. A doormat that says “Welcome” leads to a small portico.
Several banners with Christian messages have been hung on nearby homes, and some homes, including Moreno's, have cameras installed. A small “no trespassing'' sign with an image of an assault rifle is posted on the wall of one house.
According to the women who spoke, conditions in the neighborhood became so bad that about five months ago five people spent a day with local elected officials, police, the sheriff's office and the city's legal department. It is said that they talked about it.they wrote a letter Neighbor Linda Jutta said she contacted the local property management company, met with an attorney and called the media.
They said a cease-and-desist order was issued after that meeting.
“We can't do any more than what we've been doing. We tried to stop this,” Jutta said. “We tried to help her. We tried to help us. We tried to help the public. Something has to be done.”
One of the women, Heather, who only gave her first name for fear of retaliation, said she accused Moreno of threatening her with a handgun on July 4, 2022.
Heather said Moreno kept yelling profanities at her as she was watering her lawn early in the morning. Heather walked to Moreno's girlfriend's home, where she said the woman pointed a handgun at her from behind the trunk of her car. She said Conroe police recorded the incident as a threat.
“We're being told, 'See something, say something.' Well, we see something, we say something… and Conroe PD helps us. No,” Heather said. “I don't mean to bash them, but please help us. Please.”
Neither the police department nor Conroe's five city council members immediately responded to requests for comment.
Authorities have not determined a motive for Sunday's shooting, but say a dispute between Moreno and her ex-husband's family, some of whom are Jewish, may have been connected to the shooting.
Two law enforcement officials earlier told NBC News that Moreno used an assault rifle with the word “Palestine” written on it.
Officials said Moreno made several statements during the shooting, but did not provide details.
Moreno has a documented history of mental illness, and Houston police issued an emergency detention order in 2016. She has been arrested several times since 2005, according to law enforcement records. She pleaded guilty to illegal possession of her weapon and pleaded to have her charges reduced after authorities charged her. She is said to have assaulted a public servant.
Another resident, Judy Keith, said she first met Moreno at a park at the end of her street. She stopped walking in her neighborhood every morning and night because Moreno tried to hit her twice during her walks, she said.
“I'm scared of coming down here. I used to walk my granddaughter to the park here, but I had to stop that,” Keith said.
