In the late hours of Valentine's Day, a burst of gunfire on 28th Street in Newport News shattered the night and set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the death of 52-year-old Thomas Crawley. Responding to an alert from a gunshot detection system just before midnight, police discovered Crawley on the sidewalk, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
In his initial moments with officers, despite the severity of his injuries, Crawley managed to indicate that his girlfriend was the one who had shot him, though he struggled to provide a name. He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment of the extensive injuries he sustained.
The investigation quickly gained momentum the following day when a neighbor came forward with crucial information. This individual informed the police that Crawley had been dating a woman named Marlyn Nieves-Collazo. The neighbor's account grew more detailed, recounting a conversation with Nieves-Collazo's husband, who allegedly inquired if the neighbor was aware of what his wife had done. According to the husband, an argument had erupted between Nieves-Collazo and Crawley, which tragically escalated to the point where she and her son, Damian Guzman, allegedly shot him multiple times.
Further evidence emerged when the same neighbor later recorded a conversation with Nieves-Collazo, in which she reportedly admitted that she and her son had shot Crawley. However, when speaking with detectives, Nieves-Collazo allegedly claimed that her son was the sole shooter. After fighting for his life for nearly two weeks, Thomas Crawley succumbed to his injuries on February 26, 2023. His death prompted an escalation in the case, and both Marlyn Nieves-Collazo and Damian Guzman were arrested. They now face a series of charges, including second-degree murder and various gun-related offenses, as the legal process to bring closure to the violent end of Thomas Crawley's life continues.
