Random Attack: Beloved Muslim Pediatrician in Texas Stabbed to Death While Chatting on Phone at Picnic Table

Police and family members of a pediatric doctor in Texas are searching for answers after she was killed while sitting at a picnic table with her dog.

Dr. Talat Jehan Khan was stabbed to death on Oct. 28, and 24-year-old Miles Joseph Fridrich has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to her death, Knewz.com reported.

Khan was reportedly sitting at a picnic table in a common area of her apartment complex with her dog, talking on the phone, when a man attacked her.

According to KHOU-TV, witnesses said Fridrich came out of nowhere.

Witnesses say Khan was stabbed multiple times.

There were multiple witnesses to the attack, including children, according to KTRK-TV.

"I said, 'Hey, what are you doing?' And just kind of spooked him," one witness told KTRK. "He had gone and left three times before I even got there, and when I got there, he was checking her pulse to make sure she was alive and then stabbed her three more times."

Other witnesses reportedly heard the screaming and ran outside with guns, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

A local delivery driver told KTRK the suspect was believed to be living under an overpass about three miles from the apartment complex.

Police said Fridrich fled the scene but was caught not long after.

"Witnesses on scene gave a good description of the suspect and his direction of travel," police said in a statement. "Officers quickly set up a perimeter and were able to locate and detain the suspect a short distance away on Johnson-Martin Rd."

A witness described the horrifying scene, which took place at the Alys Apartments on Mansions View Drive, according to KHOU.

“I was outside and I heard a woman out there, and I heard that she was screaming. She was sitting at the picnic table,” the woman said.

While police have not released a motive for the killing, the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Houston stated in a Facebook post that it is "paying very close attention" to the investigation.

"This is an immeasurable loss for our family, completely unexpected," said Mahnoor Mangrio, Khan's niece. "She’s a Muslim, strong in her faith, those are identifiable traits about her. She’s extremely loving, kind. She was my aunt … the best aunt."

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"We are unsure at this moment if this was a hate crime, however given the tragic circumstances, we are paying very close attention to the investigation," CAIR stated. "We will continue to monitor the situation while we launch our own investigation and continue established dialogue with law enforcement."

Khan was working as a pediatrician in the Houston area after moving there from Seattle.

"She wanted to go somewhere it was sunny. She moved out here and she liked it, liked the sun and the warm weather," said Wajahat Nyaz, Khan's brother.

Nyaz said he's seeking justice for his sister. "A murder like this shouldn't go unpunished. It's bad for the community. It's bad for the entire country, so we want your support to get justice for her," Nyaz said.

Fridrich is being held at the Montgomery County jail on $500,000 bond.