Mother shot and killed in her backyard by stray bullet, police say

By Dawn White, S.E. Jenkins

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    Texas (KTVT) — A 36-year-old Forest Hill mother was killed by “stray bullets” in her backyard on Saturday night, police said.

Police were called to the 3900 block of Frisco Ave. around 7:15 p.m. where they found Marie Marisela Trujillo-Camarillo and her brother in the home’s backyard. Family members said Trujillo-Camarillo was by the fire pit when a stray bullet came through the fence and struck the two siblings.

With support from the Forest Hill Fire Department and MedStar Ambulance crew, officers initiated life-saving measures. The initial investigation revealed the stray bullets came from roughly one block north, police said.

A fun family night together turned into a nightmare. Jessica Casas got a frantic call from her uncle.

“He just kept saying, ‘They took her away from me! They took her away from me!” Casas said.

Casas said she spoke to her aunt every day, and Trujillo-Camarillo planned a birthday party for her the following weekend at her home.

“I want to call her, but she’s not here. I’m just remembering her beautiful smile and she was trying to make everyone stay,” Casas said.

Juliet Venegas lives across the street from the family. Her teenage boys called her after hearing the gunshots Saturday evening. She describes her neighbor as sweet and respectful.

“She’s very nice. She was a very nice neighbor. She’s very quiet. I used to see her out there with her two little puppies, her two little dogs,” Venegas said.

Carlos Camarillo said it doesn’t feel real his wife is gone, and the two were inseparable.

“The special thing about her is that we were always together and with one another. We were never separate,” Camarillo said.

Casas said the extended family drove up from Houston. Everyone is processing the young mother’s tragic death, including her 14- and 15-year-old children.

“She was an amazing mother and amazing sister,” Casas said. “She was very hands-on and very quick to help out. She was selfless, caring, nurturing, dedicated, and hard-working.”

Casas said her uncle is in the hospital in stable condition and the family is planning Trujillo-Camarillo’s funeral.

Forest Hill Police Chief David Hernandez said they don’t have any suspects at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call police.

The Forest Hill Police Department said multiple agencies working tirelessly processed evidence, interviewed witnesses and executed a search warrant near the home. The department said several firearms were among the recovered evidence and authorities are focused on identifying the person who fired the gun across the roadway.

Police said this incident is isolated and not related to the shooting on Mansfield Highway.

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