A Texas man allegedly killed his girlfriend after discovering she had an abortion in a pro-choice state, according to the police.
Harold Thompson, 22, was accused of murder for the slaying of Gabriella Gonzalez, 26, in a strip mall parking lot, according to the Dallas police.
Texas Man Fatally Shot Girlfriend in Parking Lot
Gonzalez had returned the night before from an approximately 800-mile journey to Colorado, where abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy. According to the affidavit, the suspect was the child's father. The suspect was against González having an abortion.
The affidavit alleges that surveillance footage from the parking lot shows the two arguing around 7:30 a.m. before Thompson chokes Gonzalez. Gonzalez "shrugs him off," and he and his companions flee. She was then shot in the cranium by Thompson. Authorities claim that he shot her multiple times before fleeing.
Thompson was apprehended Wednesday evening and is being held without parole at the Dallas County Jail. According to NY Post, the court documents did not identify an attorney who could represent him.
Surveillance footage documented the suspect putting Gonzalez in a chokehold, shooting her once in the head, and then firing additional shots after she collapsed to the ground, according to the police affidavit. Per Denver7, police say that Gonzalez's sister was present and heard the gunfire. Another witness observed Thompson attempting to choke Gonzalez but could not contact the police because she lacked a mobile phone.
Tragically, her sister Mileny Rubio saw the murder while driving her boyfriend to work.
“I heard gunshots and immediately knew it was her and when I looked back, it was her. She was on the floor,” she said. “I was in shock. I couldn’t touch her. I couldn’t move. My body froze. I just called my mom and I couldn’t even explain to her.”
“I knew she wasn’t OK but we couldn’t help, we didn’t know how,” Rubio said.
Texas Abortion Stance
At the time of the incident, Thompson had been charged with assault for allegedly strangling a family member in March. The March affidavit does not specifically identify Gonzalez as the assault victim. However, it does state that the woman told police that Thompson "beat her repeatedly throughout their entire relationship" and that Thompson told police the woman was pregnant with his child at the time.
According to the affidavit, the woman "reiterated that she is afraid of the suspect because he has threatened to endanger her family and her children."
In September 2021, Texas prohibited abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer, almost all abortions in Texas have been suspended, except, in cases of a medical emergency, NY Daily News reported. In response to the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Texas is one of several states that have enacted abortion-banning trigger laws.