Abigail Saldana, a 22-year-old woman from Fort Worth, Texas, was tragically murdered on October 26, 2021. Abigail, who was of Hispanic descent, was found dead in her vehicle from apparent gunshot wounds. The incident occurred near the southern entrance to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, not far from Rick's Cabaret, where she worked as an exotic dancer.
A witness reported seeing her car speeding before it drove off the International Parkway exit ramp and into a grassy area next to the roadway. Upon approaching the vehicle, the witness noticed bullet holes in the passenger side and found Abigail unresponsive inside. Medical responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Abigail had been stalked and harassed by a 54-year-old man named Stanley Szeliga, a software engineer from Irving, Texas. Szeliga had been a customer at Rick's Cabaret and had developed an unhealthy obsession with Abigail. He had been following her and had even placed a GPS tracker on her car to monitor her movements. Abigail had expressed her fear of Szeliga to her family, friends, and her manager at Rick's Cabaret. She had also posted on Instagram about the tracker she found on her car, indicating her growing concern for her safety.
On the day of the murder, detectives found three shell casings and broken glass near the intersection of Amon Carter Boulevard and Texas 183, not far from where Abigail's car was discovered. Surveillance footage and license plate reader records showed Szeliga's truck in close proximity to Abigail's vehicle multiple times in the days leading up to the shooting. The evidence suggested that Szeliga had been stalking her and was likely following her on the day of the murder.
Stanley Szeliga was arrested on October 27, 2021, after a SWAT team forced their way into his apartment in Irving. He was found on the balcony with several self-inflicted cut wounds and was taken to a hospital for treatment before being charged with Abigail's murder. Szeliga was booked into the Tarrant County Lon Evans Corrections Center in Fort Worth on a $250,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. The case against Szeliga is ongoing, and further details about the investigation and any potential litigation are yet to be released.
