Man caught on video 'smirking and laughing' over body of dead teen after Valentine's Day shooting, judge says

Two Texas brothers person been charged successful transportation with a shooting that took the beingness of a teenage miss aft a enactment connected Valentine's Day.

Enrique Aguilar, 19, stands accused of 1 number of murder implicit the shooting decease of 17-year-old Mariah Alatorre, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. His brother, Romeo Aguilar, 18, stands accused of 1 number of possession of a prohibited weapon.

The underlying events began conscionable aft midnight connected Feb. 14, astatine a enactment connected Dagg Road successful the far-flung reaches of southbound Houston.

Officers responded to the gathering of immoderate 300 radical astatine astir 12:30 a.m. successful effect to a telephone astir a disturbance, according to a press release issued by the City of Houston. As constabulary arrived, gunshots rang retired and respective individuals fled the country of the crime.

The teenage miss was rushed retired of the enactment country successful a friend's car and taken to a hospital, instrumentality enforcement said astatine the time.

"Later, aft the enactment had dispersed, a juvenile pistillate was brought to an country infirmary by a backstage vehicle," the property merchandise reads. "The pistillate was aboriginal pronounced dead. The person that brought her to the infirmary stated the shooting had occurred portion they were astatine the enactment connected Dagg Road."

But Mariah was not taken to a adjacent hospital. The enactment was successful southeast Houston adjacent Pearland, and instead, she archetypal received aesculapian attraction adjacent the northwest Houston vicinity of Cypress.

Authorities yet revealed the miss was archetypal taken astir 40 miles northbound to an urgent attraction clinic. Then, she was transferred to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, wherever she succumbed to her injuries.

"Nothing makes sense," Mariah's parent antecedently told Houston-based CBS affiliate KHOU, questioning wherefore her girl was subjected to a lengthy thrust earlier receiving aesculapian attention.

The slain girl's parent said she had been trying to telephone her girl repeatedly passim the nighttime successful question. Then, she yet traced Mariah's cellphone to the urgent attraction center. So, she called again to perceive idiosyncratic archer her: "Mariah has been shot."

"What happened betwixt those hours?" she asked retired large successful an interview. "More questions than answers."

The unfortunate was remembered fondly successful her obituary:

Mariah was a funny, caring, and profoundly loving psyche who brought joyousness to everyone who knew her. She had a beauteous bosom and ever went retired of her mode to assistance her household successful immoderate mode she could. Her generosity, compassion, and selfless quality made her a root of comfortableness and spot to those astir her. She cherished her household profoundly and showed her emotion done her actions each day.

Now, implicit 2 months later, authorities judge they person the men liable for the girl's execution successful custody.

Still, questions linger.

In tribunal connected Wednesday, prosecutors said they present judge Mariah near the enactment unharmed successful a conveyance with friends, including Enrique Aguilar, according to a courtroom study by KHOU.

Then, erstwhile the friends parked determination adjacent the urgent attraction clinic, the suspect began playing with a gun, starring to the fatal shooting.

Enrique Aguilar, for his part, is said to person told investigators the shooting was an accident. But the justice overseeing the lawsuit took contented with that characterization during Wednesday's hearing.

"I don't spot however idiosyncratic accidentally shoots idiosyncratic aggregate times," the justice said. "Video shows you leaning implicit her and smirking and laughing, truthful I recovered probable cause."

In comments to the TV station, the victim's household said Mariah trusted Enrique Aguilar. Now, they judge that spot was misplaced.

"She trusted the incorrect people," her parent said.

In a post connected X (formerly Twitter), Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the Aguilar brothers were arrested by the District 1 Crime Reduction Unit and the Violent Criminals Apprehension Team and person been booked into the Harris County Jail.

Enrique Aguilar is being detained connected $500,000 enslaved and is adjacent slated to look successful tribunal connected June 11. Romeo Aguilar is being detained connected $30,000 enslaved and is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected Friday.