An 18-year-old Houston man is behind bars after a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl early Tuesday.
Lewis Orlando Tejada was charged with tampering with physical evidence in connection to the Tuesday death of 16-year-old Hailey.
The girl was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a car with four adults including Tejada and a 17-year-old at around 3 a.m.
Tejada told detectives another vehicle fired at them before claiming that he was handling his own gun when it discharged.
The suspect discarded the firearm in a grassy area about 30 feet from the car. Haley’s mother said she was unaware of Tejada’s arrest.
“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,” Neidy Garcia said.
“Who actually pulled the trigger and killed my daughter – that’s what I need to know because I need that person to pay for what he did.”
