Mugshot released of man charged with murdering his girlfriend's ex at their daughter's grad party

KTRK logo
Friday, June 2, 2023
Family seeks justice after dad killed at daughter's graduation party
The 24-year-old has been charged with murdering his girlfriend's 35-year-old ex, whom she shares a teenage daughter with.

HOUSTON, Texas -- We're getting a first glance at the mugshot of a man accused of shooting and killing a father last week at his daughter's graduation party in Texas.

The video above is from a previous report.

Philip Arning is accused of shooting and killing 35-year-old Adam Tobias on May 26 in southeast Houston.

Neighbors said a number of people were partying in the streets. Then sometime in the evening, Arning, who is the homeowner's boyfriend, showed up at the house.

Tobias was celebrating his daughter's graduation at his ex's home. His wife and boys left for the night, but he stayed back, reportedly yearning to spend more time with his little girl on her big day.

That's when police believe he got into an argument with the 24-year-old suspect.

"My favorite person. He was my favorite person," Destiny Tobias said of her father.

Destiny is one of six children that the victim leaves behind.

"She held her dad's lifeless body in her arms, and I'm sure she's never going to get that out of her head," the victim's wife, Neftaly Perez, said. Perez is Destiny's stepmother and Adam's wife of 16 years.

Tobias, who police say was unarmed, was shot and died on the front steps. Arning stayed at the scene.

Houston police took him into custody early that Friday morning and he has been charged with murder, records show.

Records show Arning has a previous charge from 2021 for unlawfully carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle. That charge was dismissed after he completed a pretrial intervention program.

Arning is currently out on a $50,000 bond.