At about 5 a.m., police said they responded to a 911 call from a witness who said a friend had been shot in the head near 67th and Northern avenues in Glendale, Arizona.
Police arrived at the Orange Grove Estates mobile home park where they met the 911 caller outside a residence, and located the woman unresponsive inside a bedroom as she held a towel against a wound on her head.
Officers’ provided life-saving measures to the woman despite the fact they were initially unaware of where she had the gunshot wound, and transported her to Thunderbird Hospital where medical professionals determined she had received a gunshot wound to her right eye. The woman was unable to breathe on her own and had no brain activity.
On April 1, the woman died early Monday morning. She was identified as 36-year-old Bernadette Vera.
The suspect was identified as Vera’s boyfriend, 43-year-old Raidel Salinas.
A Glendale police interview of the 911 caller and witness who said they were friends with Vera for several years, and added the victim had recently moved in with Salinas who lived at the residence where the incident took place.
Police learned the witness was with Vera and Salinas on March 29 for a gathering where they drank alcohol. Salinas asked the witness to drive him and Vera back to the residence at the trailer park in Salinas’ vehicle, which the witness did and left again for an unknown reason to return just before 5 a.m.
The witness told police he arrived to the sound of Salinas and Vera arguing, which lead him to wait outside.
The witness heard Vera scream and then a gunshot. Moments later, Salinas emerged from the residence and departed in a separate vehicle.
The witness told police he had seen Salinas earlier in the night with a revolver.
Police located Salinas’ car abandoned in Phoenix, the suspect’s cellphone still in the vehicle.
Allegedly, Salinas made contact with his mother, reportedly hysterical during the call stating he would not return to jail, and later posted on Facebook saying, “I love you with all my heart forgive me, I beg you.”
Salinas reportedly started calling family members on Sunday to ask for money to fund an escape to Mexico.
Glendale police later located Salinas through his phone calls to the area of 83rd Avenue and Indian School Road and arrested him without incident.
The suspect was found with a .22 caliber revolver in his possession with one spent casing and two live rounds in the cylinder.
Police found handwritten notes in Salinas’s possession that signaled regret and said “I didn’t mean to do that, I wanted to scare you,” with another note mentioning fleeing to Tijuana.
Police said Salinas had a cut to his right eye and another on the top of his head that appeared to be in the healing process.
Salinas was booked on a second-degree murder charge and held without bond, with police citing a high-flee risk. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.
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