A 19-year-old woman is in custody after allegedly shooting and killing her romantic rival in Maryvale, Arizona, on Thursday morning.
Police say Chamille Tapia-Hernandez, 19, admitted to shooting and killing 23-year-old Alyssa Candelaria Gomez, 23, inside a shed in the backyard of a home near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road around 10 a.m.
Tapia-Hernandez and Gomez were reportedly involved in a love triangle with an unidentified man. According to police, the two women got into an argument inside the shed, and Tapia-Hernandez pulled out a gun and shot Gomez in the stomach. Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tapia-Hernandez told police that she did not mean to kill Gomez, but that she was angry with her because she was “trying to steal her man.”
Tapia-Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder. She is being held in Maricopa County Jail on a $1 million bond.
The shooting is the latest in a string of violent crimes in Maryvale, a neighborhood that has been plagued by gun violence in recent years. In 2021, there were 44 homicides in Maryvale, the most of any neighborhood in Phoenix.
Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
This is a developing story. We will continue to update it as more information becomes available.
Tips to Avoid Violence
If you are in a relationship that is turning violent, get help. There are many resources available to help you, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
If you see something, say something. If you see someone being violent, call the police. You could save a life.