Ada Beatriz Aguilar, a 47-year-old Hispanic woman, tragically lost her life on November 14, 2021, in Houston, Texas. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning at approximately 3:35 a.m. in the parking lot of La Playita Bar, located along Fuqua Street in southeast Houston. Aguilar had just left the bar and was in her truck with friends when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by Moises Castillo, a 28-year-old former security guard.
Castillo, along with other security guards, was responding to a chaotic situation involving a reckless driver in a black Ford truck that was causing damage to multiple vehicles and injuring people in the parking lot. The security guards, positioned at different locations, opened fire on the truck, and one of the bullets hit Aguilar, who was in the line of fire.
The aftermath of the shooting was equally troubling. Surveillance video footage revealed that two security guards attended to Aguilar only after six minutes had passed. They found her unresponsive and pulled her out of the truck. Meanwhile, other guards were seen picking up items from the ground and disposing of them in a storm drain, where investigators later found several shell casings. The guards, including Castillo, then left the scene without contacting the police. Aguilar was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nearly a year after the incident, Moises Castillo was arrested and charged with murder. He was identified as the shooter through further investigation and surveillance video evidence. Castillo, who had no prior charges in Harris County, made his first court appearance, where his bond was set at $120,000. If he makes bond, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor and adhere to a curfew. The other security guards involved in the incident have not been charged, and their identities have not been disclosed.
The family of Ada Beatriz Aguilar has been seeking justice and answers regarding her death. Her daughter, Claudia Quintana, who was working as a waitress at the bar that night, expressed the family's grief and desire for accountability. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover medical expenses and has refrained from commenting further on the case. The investigation into the actions of the security guards and the circumstances surrounding Aguilar's death continues, as the family and the community await justice for the tragic loss of a beloved mother and friend.
