(Gray News) – A man in Texas is accused of killing his coworker because he was obsessed with her, and he was angry that she was taking long work breaks.
Authorities said 51-year-old Travis Merrill was arrested after he allegedly shot and killed his coworker Tamhara Collazo at her desk.
The two both worked at an Allegiance Trucks office in Lewisville, roughly 30 miles north of Dallas, police said.
Merrill allegedly told detectives that he was obsessed with Collazo and began getting ever increasingly angry by her taking what he considered to be ‘unauthorized long breaks’ during work hours, as well as not paying any attention to him.
He told detectives that his coworker intentionally avoided him once she returned to work, which fueled his anger even more.
He said he brought the guns to work on several occasions but didn’t do anything because it “didn’t feel like the right time.”
After several months, Collazo told Merrill to stop watching her on her breaks and reported his behavior to HR.
He was ordered to talk to a counselor before he was approved to return to work, KDFW reported.
On October 17, as Collazo reentered after her lunch break, he followed her inside to her cubicle and shot her several times, police said.
He told investigators that Collazo “had caused him pain, and he wanted her to feel pain, WKRC reported.
Collazo was rushed to the hospital but she later died from her injuries.
He’s now being held in jail on a $10 million bond.
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