SAN ANTONIO, TX – A Texas man has been charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend, a crime authorities allege was motivated by retaliation for domestic violence charges filed against him.
Damen Carrillo, 26, was taken into custody earlier this week and faces a first-degree murder charge for the February shooting of Ghabriella Barrera, 24, according to court records from Bexar County.
Barrera was found dead on Feb. 15 after being shot multiple times while driving home from work in San Antonio. Her car was discovered crashed near railroad tracks, and an autopsy confirmed multiple gunshot wounds as the cause of death.
Police investigated for months without making an arrest until a breakthrough in the case led to Carrillo’s apprehension. Authorities claim that Carrillo had threatened Barrera the night before her death, demanding she retract the domestic violence charges she had previously filed against him. Those charges date back to an incident in November, when Carrillo was arrested for allegedly assaulting Barrera.
According to investigators, Carrillo used text messages to issue threats the day before Barrera was killed. He reportedly contacted her on social media, upset over a video she had posted online depicting him wielding a gun in a threatening manner.
Surveillance footage played a crucial role in identifying the suspect. Co-workers of Barrera recalled seeing a suspicious black truck near the parking lot on the day of her death. Video later confirmed a black Ford F-150, linked to Carrillo’s family, was seen leaving the crime scene hastily.
A license plate reader captured the truck, which was registered to Carrillo’s family and found in Poteet, a small town south of San Antonio. Inside the truck, police discovered shell casings that matched those at the crime scene.
Cellphone data placed Carrillo near the location of the shooting around the time it occurred, according to investigators.
Following his arrest, a Bexar County judge placed Carrillo under house arrest and prohibited him from possessing any firearms.
As the legal proceedings continue, Barrera’s family remains in mourning. Her grandmother fondly remembered Barrera as someone always willing to help others, expressing deep sorrow over her untimely death.