Authorities ID woman, man shot and killed in West Side neighborhood

Woman came out shooting after crashing into parked car, killed by a neighbor, SAPD says

SAN ANTONIO – A woman and a man shot and killed in a West Side neighborhood have been identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Authorities say 28-year-old Mercedes Perez crashed into a parked car in the neighborhood, then began shooting at people who came to help her.

Police said Perez was then fatally shot by a neighbor in the neck.

The incident unfolded late Wednesday night in the 400 block of Hazel Street.

RELATED: 2 dead, 2 wounded in bizarre gun battle apparently linked to car crash

As officers headed to the scene, they found out the situation had escalated to a shooting.

Police said Perez was driving the vehicle that hit the parked car, causing a commotion that ended with deadly violence.

“You have residents concerned, neighbors coming out and checking on the suspect in that suspect vehicle,” said Officer Cory Schuler, a public information officer with SAPD. “At some point, they are fired upon for some unknown, unprovoked reason.”

Authorities said that Perez immediately got out of her car and began shooting at those people, hitting three of them.

The owner of the parked car that was hit by Perez, 48-year-old Hector Garza, died of a gunshot to the head, according to police.

An 18-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman also were critically wounded and taken to a hospital for treatment.

“During the shooting, a neighbor from a nearby residence, intervenes, comes to the aids of the victims, opens fire on our suspect, striking her multiple times,” Schuler said.

Schuler said it does not appear that the neighbor who fatally shot Perez will face any charges.

However, he said the incident is still under investigation.


About the Authors

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Tim has been a photojournalist and video editor at KSAT since 1998. He came to San Antonio from Lubbock, where he worked in TV and earned his bachelor's degree in Electronic Media and Communication from Texas Tech University. Tim has won a handful of awards and has earned a master's in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Tech as well.

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