A Texas man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder nearly three months after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend when she refused to remove a video from social media that showed him threatening her with a gun. According to court documents reviewed by Law&Crime , Damen Carrillo, 26, was taken into custody on Monday in connection with the February 15 shooting death of 24-year-old Ghabriella Barrera, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside her crashed vehicle on San Antonio’s southwest side.
“If the video don’t come down I’m pulling up,” Carrillo allegedly messaged Barrera via Facebook Messenger on the day of her murder, as detailed in the arrest affidavit. The breakthrough arrest comes after an extensive investigation that included surveillance footage, shell casing evidence, and cellphone records that placed Carrillo at the scene of the crime, according to authorities.
Prior Domestic Violence History Led to Fatal Confrontation
Court records obtained by investigators reveal a troubling pattern of escalating threats and violence leading up to Barrera’s murder. Reporting from KENS5 indicates that Carrillo had previously been arrested on November 15, 2024, for allegedly assaulting Barrera and was released with conditions that included having no contact with her.
Despite this court order, family members informed police that Carrillo threatened to kill Barrera the night before the shooting if she did not drop the family violence charges against him. The situation intensified when Barrera posted a video on social media that reportedly showed Carrillo threatening her with a handgun—digital evidence that appears to have been the final trigger for the fatal attack, with Carrillo allegedly sending multiple threatening messages demanding she remove the video shortly before the shooting.
Meticulous Investigation Led to Breakthrough Arrest
For months, the case remained unsolved as investigators methodically pieced together evidence. KSAT highlights how a breakthrough came when coworkers reported seeing a suspicious black truck near Barrera’s workplace on the day she was killed…