HOUSTON — An 18-year-old man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a 16-year-old girl in north Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police said Lewis Orlando Tejada is charged with tampering with physical evidence following the fatal shooting of Hailey, whose family identified her to KHOU 11 News.
Houston police responded to a shooting call around 3 a.m. Tuesday along Gulf Bank Road, just west of the Hardy Toll Road. When officers arrived, they found a car stopped on the roadway with Hailey in the front passenger seat. She had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Authorities said three young adult men, including Tejada, along with a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old, were inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting. None were injured.
Investigation and court hearing
During a probable cause hearing Wednesday, a judge said Tejada told investigators that another vehicle fired at their car, striking Hailey. However, Tejada also allegedly said his own gun discharged while he and another person were handling it.
According to police, Tejada then threw his firearm into a grassy area before officers arrived. Investigators later found the gun 30 feet from the crime scene, authorities said.
Tejada was booked into jail, and his bond was set at $15,000.
Family seeks justice
Hailey’s mother, Neidy Garcia, said she was unaware of the arrest and has limited information about the case.
“I feel that if they have a gun in their possession, then they’re not acting like young kids. They’re already acting like adults and I feel like they should be prosecuted as adults,” Garcia said. “Who actually pulled the trigger and killed my daughter—that’s my main concern and that’s what I need to know because I need that person to pay for what he did.”
Garcia added that her family is struggling to cover funeral expenses, and a GoFundMe has been set up for support.
The investigation remains ongoing.