A “Sugar Daddy” accused of killing a Texas college student has been arrested by police after a woman “instantly” recognized him on a dating app in footage released by police.
Muna Pandey, a 21-year-old Nepalese woman studying nursing at Houston Community College, was found dead in her apartment on August 26.
Bobby Shah, 51, was charged with first-degree murder after security footage showed him at her home.
Police said the murdered student was shot three times in the torso and once in the back of the head when her body was found.
After the security footage of Pandey’s front door was made public, a woman called Houston police and said she knew Shah from a “Sugar Daddy” website, according to the complaint, which was viewed by Fox News.
Muna Pandey, 21 (pictured), an only child from Nepal who was studying nursing at Houston Community College, was found dead in her apartment on August 26
Bobby Shah, 51, was charged with first-degree murder in her killing. After security footage of Pandey’s front door was released, a woman called Houston police saying she knew Shah from a “Sugar Daddy” website. (Photo: Shah in court Tuesday)
The owner of the local restaurant where Pandey used to work also recognized Shah from the video and said he was a regular customer who reportedly gave large tips to women he liked.
Shah was arrested on August 28 during a traffic stop, wearing the same blood-stained clothing seen in the footage, prosecutors said.
CBS Austin reported that Shah may have had a profile on a so-called “Sugar Daddy” website, a service that connects men who want to buy gifts for women in exchange for sexual favors.
It’s unclear whether Shah and Pandey had a prior relationship like this, but court documents obtained by KPRC show security footage from the apartment showed Shah walking to her door with a gun.
According to court documents, Shah held Pandey at gunpoint while she was holding a shoebox, a shopping bag, a black jacket and a handbag.
The owner of the local restaurant where Pandey (pictured) used to work also recognized Shah from the video and said he was a regular customer who reportedly gave large tips to women he liked.
After repeated threats, he was able to enter her apartment and lock the door behind him. He left an hour later and police say he was holding Pandey’s bag
After repeated threats, he was able to enter her apartment and lock the door behind him. He left an hour later, and police say he was holding Pandey’s purse.
During his court appearance on Tuesday, Shah was seen looking down at the ground in an orange jumpsuit. He was denied bail and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Pandey’s friends and family could be heard sobbing in the courtroom as prosecutors detailed what had happened to their loved one, KPRC reported.
Several members of the Nepalese Association of Houston were also present to show their support.
The association’s vice-president, Drona Gautam, was a friend of Pandey and could not understand why anyone would kill her.
“How could that person do that?” Gautam said. “I can’t even think about it.”
Anita Pandey, the victim’s mother, was not in court Tuesday because she is still in Nepal. Her visa has reportedly been approved so she can attend her daughter’s funeral in southwest Houston on Monday at 4 p.m.
“I can only imagine what Muna’s mother is going through being on the other side of the world, so I wanted them to know what was going to happen in court and what to expect,” prosecutor Rebecca Marshall told reporters after the hearing.
Before Shah was identified as a suspect and charged, Anita said last week that she wanted the maximum sentence for her daughter’s killer.
Shah was arrested during a traffic stop on Aug. 28 while wearing the same blood-stained clothing he saw in the footage, prosecutors said.
Pandey’s friends described her as ‘loving’ and ‘confident’. They never heard anything from her about Shah
Anita had regular contact with her daughter, who told her that she was in a relationship with a white American man. She had expressed her concerns about the stability of the relationship.
Pandey was an only child and her mother raised money so she could attend community college thousands of miles away.
She traveled to the US in 2021 to begin her undergraduate studies and has not returned to her home country since. Kathmandu News reported.
Anita received the news of her daughter’s death from Gautam the day after her body was discovered.
“Her friend told me about Muna’s death early Tuesday morning. I was devastated when the caller broke the bad news in tears,” Anita said.
‘I fainted when I heard the news. I lost my support and my confidant, my everything. I don’t know what to do now; I can’t think ahead.’
Her mother sadly told her that Pandey was planning to visit Nepal next year after completing her studies.
“But now she’s gone and she’ll never come back,” Anita said.
Pandey’s friends described her as ‘loving’ and ‘confident’. They never heard from her about Shah again.
Her heartbroken mother said Pandey planned to visit Nepal next year after completing her studies at Houston Community College (pictured).
Anita Pandey, the victim’s mother, was not present in court because she is still in Nepal, but her visa has reportedly been approved so she can attend her daughter’s funeral in southwest Houston on Monday at 4 p.m.
A GoFundMe page was created to raise money for the young student’s funeral expenses.
As of Sunday afternoon, more than $37,000 had been raised to give Pandey “the send-off she deserves.”
Prosecutors recommended that Shah’s bail be denied until his next hearing in December.
“I felt that we absolutely should not seek bail in this case,” Marshall said. “I believe he poses a grave danger to our community.”
Under the current terms of his bail, he must surrender all his passports and is not allowed to contact Pandey’s family.
Shah’s lawyer said his client is innocent and in good spirits.
“We look forward to proving his innocence in court,” said defense attorney Wilvin J. Carter.
Carter said Shah is from India and moved to the US during his childhood.
“He was a vice president of a company. I can’t say his name, but he’s an intelligent man, well educated and very articulate,” Carter said.