HUMBLE, Texas – A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with shooting his girlfriend during an argument outside of a motel in Humble.
The Houston Police Department shared on Friday that Francisco Ochoa, 19, was wanted for manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend, 24-year-old Joselyn Espinoza. Hours later he turned himself in.
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According to charging documents, Ochoa shot Espinoza in the head during an argument in the parking lot of the Palace Inn off the Sam Houston Parkway in Humble.
The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 15. Surveillance footage at a Palace Inn Motel captured a green Chevrolet Silverado parking on the west side of the building.
After the truck parked, a man—believed to be Ochoa—was seen getting out and aggressively trying to open the passenger’s side door, which was locked.
Ochoa went back to the driver’s side of the truck, but Espinoza, the passenger in the vehicle, attempted to lock the door to keep him from being able to get in.
At this point, the man began banging on the driver’s side window with a handgun. He shattered the glass by striking it with the gun, but the gun discharged and presumably struck Espinoza in the head.
After the gun fired, Ochoa went back to the passenger’s side and opened the door, and Espinoza’s body fell into his arms. He pushed her body back into the car, got back in, and left the scene.
“We still don’t know exactly what they were arguing about, but all I know is that she was trying to get away from him,” Destiny Espinoza.
Ochoa brought 24-year-old Joselyn Espinoza to St. Joseph Hospital in Downtown Houston after she had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15.
According to Joselyn’s family, the two have only been dating for a few months. Joselyn’s sister didn’t even know they were together.
“She never mentioned her talking to that guy, Francisco,” Destiny said. “I feel like it was a stranger who stole my sister from us.”
Detectives attempted to speak with Ochoa, but he refused to answer questions or consent to a search of his truck. Authorities also said that Ochoa initially provided patrol officers with two different statements surrounding the shooting that conflicted each other.
Officers seized Ochoa’s truck and transported it to the Houston Forensic Science Center pending a search warrant. After the warrant was obtained, they found blood in the truck. The driver’s side window was also broken.
Shortly after Houton Police Department announced that Ochoa was wanted in connection to the crime on Sept. 20., he turned himself in. He is currently in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Inmate Processing Center.
“I would give him life because that’s what he took from my sister, her life,” Destiny said.”
Ochoa is being held on a $200,000 bond.
Joselyn’s family is sharing their story in hopes that anyone else in a violent or abusive relationship can get help before they get hurt.
“I wish she would have told us what was going on,” Destiny said of her sister. “That she could have came with us. Get out of the of relationship, because you never know what could happen next if it could be your last day.”
Espinoza’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to help during this time.
KPRC has an entire portion of our website dedicated to ‘Breaking Free.’ Here you can find resources and ways to get help if you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence.