Patricia Alejandra Silva, a 27-year-old woman from El Paso, Texas, tragically lost her life on June 27, 2020, during a backyard cookout at her home on Genie Drive in the Parkland area. The incident occurred when four men allegedly began recklessly firing guns at the gathering. Silva was standing on her patio when she was struck in the face by a bullet, resulting in her immediate death.
The men had entered the party through a side gate and confronted a guest, leading to an argument that escalated into gunfire. Witnesses reported that the men pointed handguns at a party guest and began firing indiscriminately towards the house, causing Silva's fatal injury.
The investigation into Silva's death led to the arrest of four suspects: Martreil Price, Chris Thomas, Nasir Dante Gillespie, and Justin Lajes. Price and Thomas, both 23 years old, were arrested in Tempe, Arizona, by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Tempe Police Department Violent Fugitive Task Force. They were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity-murder and aggravated assault. Price and Thomas were later extradited to Texas and booked into the El Paso County Jail with bonds set at $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively.
Gillespie, 23, and Lajes, 21, were arrested in El Paso with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, El Paso police auto theft investigators, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The suspects were identified through witness statements and social media evidence, including Facebook photos and a YouTube video. The investigation revealed that the men had entered the party and confronted a guest, leading to a physical altercation and subsequent gunfire.
In May 2022, Martreil Price was found guilty of murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in Silva's death. The other suspects, Thomas, Gillespie, and Lajes, were scheduled for hearings in September 2022. The tragic incident highlighted the dangers of reckless gun violence and the devastating impact it can have on innocent lives.
