Texas authorities say a man is suspected recent murder He was obsessed with the co-worker he murdered and claimed that his “long break” was the main reason for the murder.
Travis Merrill, 51, was arrested Thursday after allegedly shooting and killing his co-worker Tamhara Collazo at her desk. Both worked at an Allegiance Trucks office in louisville, Which is about 30 miles north of Dallas.
Police say Merrill opened fire after the victim returned from a lunch break Thursday afternoon. He was taken to hospital, but died from his injuries.
“As soon as she came inside again after lunch, he followed her into her chamber and ‘ambushed’ her, firing the gun multiple times,” states an affidavit obtained by fox 4 dallas Describes.
Court documents revealed that Merrill admitted she was “obsessed” with the victim and would engage in the act during her work breaks. The suspect said he carefully kept track of which days Merrill took breaks and how long they were.
“(Merrill said he) was obsessed with Collazo and became increasingly angry at her for taking unauthorized long breaks during her work hours as well as for not paying her any attention,” the document reads.
Collazo became aware of Merrill’s worrying behavior and reported it to the company’s human resources department. The suspect was ordered to seek counseling before returning to work.
Merrill also told police that Collazo avoided him at work after reporting him, which angered him. He then purchased firearms, and even told police that he had brought guns to work on several occasions.
According to Fox 4, Merrill claimed that the victim “had caused him pain, and he wanted her to feel pain, so he deliberately planned to shoot her at work with everyone there.”
Allegiance Trucks issued a statement to FOX 4 expressing regret over the incident and saying its Louisville office is closed in the wake of the shooting.
“The company is providing support to the victim’s family and our remaining employees, who were thankfully safe, and we have closed our Louisville office indefinitely. We are also working closely with law enforcement during their ongoing investigation,” Allegiance Trucks said.
“We ask for support from the community as our company unfortunately joins the growing national community of workplaces impacted by gun violence.”
Fox News Digital contacted the Louisville Police Department and Allegiance Trucks for additional information.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Murder(T)Texas
