Kevin Faux was arrested in Louisiana after Houston police charged him in the death of Ashanti Allen and her unborn child.
HOUSTON, Texas — The death of Ashanti Allen has left her family grieving a daughter and unborn grandson while questioning how the man now charged in the case had been released from jail weeks earlier.
Allen, 23, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in April. Houston police say Kevin Faux, 24, the father of her unborn child, is charged with capital murder. Faux was arrested April 20 in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, after police first said he was wanted in the death of a woman found near Chimney Rock Road. Relatives say the case is not only about the killing, but also about earlier allegations involving Faux and Allen.
Before the homicide investigation, Houston-area court records showed Faux had faced assault-related allegations, including allegations involving Allen in 2025, according to local reports. Those reports said a continuous family violence charge was later reduced and Faux pleaded guilty in February to assault of a family member. He was sentenced to jail but received credit for time served, which allowed him to leave custody before Allen’s death. Family members said they did not fully understand the earlier case or its result until after Allen disappeared. Their public comments have focused on grief, anger and a belief that the danger to Allen was not treated with enough urgency.
The murder investigation began April 10, when Allen was reported missing. Her mother had received a text from Allen’s phone at 3:50 a.m. saying she was leaving and not coming back. Relatives said the message did not sound like her. When her mother went to Allen’s apartment, Allen’s car was gone, and her purse appeared to have been emptied. Her wallet, identification and credit cards were missing. Family members began searching for her, and Texas EquuSearch later joined the effort. Allen’s father, Edward Allen, told reporters the family had hoped for the best before learning the worst. “I love my baby girl,” he said.
Investigators later built a timeline using apartment records, surveillance video, phone data and witness statements. Court documents described by Houston news outlets said Allen and Faux were seen leaving her South Main Street apartment complex around 2:25 a.m. April 10 in Allen’s vehicle. A witness told investigators Faux called by FaceTime less than an hour later from a wooded area and said he had killed someone. The witness said Faux showed what appeared to be a body on the ground. Police have not released all of the video and digital evidence publicly, but the allegations became part of the charging narrative after Allen’s body was found.
Searchers found Allen’s body April 16 at 11655 Chimney Rock Road. Houston police said homicide investigators working the missing person case, with assistance from Texas EquuSearch, made the discovery about 9 a.m. Police later identified the victim as Allen. Local reports citing charging documents said she was found with a cord around her neck. Police said an autopsy would determine her cause and manner of death. Investigators also said Faux was the father of the unborn child. Family members identified the baby as Jaxon and said Allen had been preparing for motherhood, including plans to buy a car seat and stroller.
For Allen’s family, the discovery turned a search into a vigil and a demand for answers. More than 100 people gathered at Chimney Rock Park, according to local reports, where candles and balloons marked the place where the case had changed. Relatives spoke about Allen as a daughter, sister and expectant mother. They also spoke about the earlier assault case and said they believed more should have been done before her death. Their criticism did not change the legal standard in the new case. Faux has been charged, not convicted, and the capital murder case must be proven in court.
The charge against Faux increased as police identified Allen and the unborn child became part of the allegation. Houston police first announced that Faux was charged with murder and was not in custody. In an April 20 update, police said he was charged with capital murder in the 228th Criminal District Court and had been arrested in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Authorities said members of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. Houston police said he was awaiting extradition to Harris County, where prosecutors would handle the case. Separate local reports later said prosecutors were seeking to keep him detained under Texas rules for certain violent offenses.
The evidence listed in reports from charging documents includes Allen’s vehicle, her phone, debit card use, surveillance footage and statements from people who encountered Faux after Allen disappeared. Allen’s brother tracked her phone to a home connected to Faux’s mother on the day she was reported missing. Police later recovered Allen’s car near that home. A city employee found her phone at Edgewood Park on April 15. In Louisiana, a woman told investigators Faux arrived by bus after contacting her online. She said he mentioned the Houston missing person case and asked her not to search for it. She later reported concerns to authorities.
What remains unknown includes the full motive alleged by prosecutors, the final medical examiner findings and the complete record of any statements Faux may have made to police after his arrest. Investigators have not publicly released every video clip, phone record or witness statement described in the court documents. The Harris County court process will determine what evidence becomes public, what evidence is challenged and whether the case moves toward trial or another resolution. Family members have said they want accountability both for Allen’s death and for the earlier handling of the assault case.
For now, Faux is in custody after the Louisiana arrest, and the capital murder case remains pending in Harris County. Allen’s relatives continued to mourn her and Jaxon while awaiting the next court milestone.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.