Two Texas brothers have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl following a Valentine’s Day party in south Houston, with a judge raising sharp questions about the accused shooter’s claim that the killing was accidental.
Enrique Aguilar, 19, faces one count of murder in the death of Mariah Alatorre. His younger brother, Romeo Aguilar, 18, has been charged with one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The events that led to Mariah’s death unfolded just after midnight on February 14, at a large gathering of roughly 300 people on Dagg Road in the far reaches of south Houston. Officers responding to a disturbance call arrived at around 12:30 a.m., at which point gunshots erupted and several individuals fled the scene.
What followed only deepened the tragedy. Rather than being taken to a nearby hospital, Mariah was driven nearly 40 miles north to an urgent care clinic in the Cypress area of northwest Houston before being transferred to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, where she later died from her injuries, according to a report by KHOU.
“Nothing makes sense,” her mother said, questioning why her daughter endured such a lengthy journey before receiving proper medical attention. Throughout that night, she had been trying repeatedly to reach Mariah by phone. She eventually traced her daughter’s cellphone to the urgent care center and called only to be told: “Mariah has been shot.” “What happened between those hours?” she asked. “More questions than answers.”
Prosecutors revealed in Wednesday’s court hearing that they now believe Mariah had actually left the party unharmed, riding with friends, including Enrique Aguilar. It was only after the group parked near the urgent care clinic that the defendant allegedly began handling a gun, leading to the fatal shooting.
Aguilar told investigators the shooting was an accident a claim the presiding judge was quick to reject. “I don’t see how someone accidentally shoots someone multiple times,” the judge said. “Video shows you leaning over her and smirking and laughing, so I found probable cause.”
For Mariah’s family, the arrests have brought little comfort. Her mother said her daughter had placed her faith in the wrong person. “She trusted the wrong people,” her mother said.
Enrique Aguilar is being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court on June 11. Romeo Aguilar is held on a $30,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Mariah was remembered in her obituary as “a funny, caring, and deeply loving soul who brought joy to everyone who knew her.”
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