Houston crime: Family say relative of woman killed in after-hours shooting is charged with her murder
HOUSTON - 23-year-old Princess Ortega was shot and killed on July 8 outside of Karma after-hours club located on South Gessner, near the Westpark Tollway.
17-year-old Jermaine Torres has been arrested and charged with Ortega's murder. Her mother and sister, who chose not to reveal their identities, say their family had just recently met Torres. But he is the half-brother of their cousin, making him a part of the family as well.
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"She just wanted to stop the fight," Ortega's sister said while crying.
Family members tell FOX 26 that on the night of the shooting, Ortega was with Torres and her other cousin, along with a few other young men. They say the men she was with got into a fight inside the club with another group of men, and that argument spilled outside.
"My sister had gone out and got in the middle trying to stop the fight," Ortega's sister said.
That's when they claim Torres, who was with the group standing behind Ortega, opened fire.
"My sister was still in the middle when the shots started, it wasn't just one shot he fired; it was one after another, and she got hit in the back," her sister said.
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Ortega, a wife and mother of three young children died from her injuries; paramedics also rushed a second victim, described as a 29-year-old man, to the hospital in critical condition.
"According to the detectives, there were only shots from his side, so he was the only one firing," Ortega's sister said.
Her family says it's a harsh reality knowing the man accused of this shooting was someone she knew and trusted, and someone who should've been protecting her.
"He was firing the shots and he must've seen when she fell. He didn't even stop, he just kept shooting. And when he stopped, he didn't stay and help, he ran," Her sister said.
Torres is expected in court Thursday. His bond is set at $100,000, but this family says that isn't high enough, and they want that bond increased. They plan to protest outside the courthouse next week.
The family has set up a fundraiser to help with the 3-children Ortega left behind click here to learn more.