A Texas man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend in an act of revenge after she filed domestic violence charges against him, according to police.
Damen Carillo, 26, is facing one count of first-degree murder over the killing of 24-year-old Ghabriella Barrera, according to Bexar County court records.
Barrera was Shot and Killed While Driving Back from Work, Carillo Had Threatened Her the Night Before to Drop Charges
As reported by Law & Crime, on Feb. 15, Barrera was shot and killed while she was driving back from work on the southwest side of San Antonio. Police identified Carillo as the suspect but he remained at large for months until his arrest on Monday.
The defendant allegedly threatened Barrera the night before she died, family members told police, according to an affidavit obtained by local news outlets.
Investigators say Carrillo threatened to kill the victim if she did not drop family violence charges she previously filed against him. Those earlier charges date back to Nov. 15, 2024. On that day, the defendant was arrested for allegedly assaulting Barrera and later released on the condition he have no contact with her.
'If the Video Don't Come Down I'm Pulling Up' Carillo Texted Barrera Over Incriminating Video She Posted
Investigators determined Carrillo texted various threats to Barrera the day before she died, according to the affidavit. He also allegedly contacted the victim on the day she died — using Facebook Messenger to complain about a video she posted which purported to show Carrillo threatening Barrera with a gun.
"You work today right?" the defendant allegedly asked in one message. "If the video don't come down I'm pulling up."
The victim was found after crashing near the railroad tracks along General Hudnell Drive South and Kirk Place. An autopsy determined Barrera died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Black Truck, Shell Casings at Crime Scene and Cellphone Data Tied Carillo to the Murder
Investigators said Barrera's co-workers described seeing a suspicious black truck parked near the employee parking lot on the day she died. This was later verified by surveillance footage, which showed a black Ford F-150 parked near where the victim worked and later accelerating with haste as soon as Barrera left that day.
A license plate reader later caught sight of the same truck driving; records showed the vehicle was registered to one of Carrillo's family members — at the defendant's home address.
The truck was later found and seized in the small town of Poteet, roughly 30 miles due south of the Alamo City. While effectuating a search warrant, police allegedly found several 9 mm shell casings inside the F-150 that matched shell casings found at the scene of the crime.
Cellphone records also showed Carrillo near the location where Barrera died at around the time of the shooting, police claim. On Tuesday, the defendant was placed on full house arrest and ordered not to possess firearms by a Bexar County judge.
