Daniel Chacon: Texas man with history of violence fatally shoots ex-GF after kidnapping her at gunpoint
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
PASADENA, TEXAS: A woman was abducted by her ex, 30-year-old Daniel Chacon, and found dead in her own SUV after it was found abandoned on October 5 in SE Houston. A day after Maira Gutierrez was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint in Pasadena and later found dead in Houston, police have identified her ex-boyfriend as a suspect. "She didn't deserve this," her ex-husband Jimmy Puente said in a statement. "(Gutierrez) had a wonderful character, a wonderful, lovely individual." Daniel Chacon, 30, has been named by authorities as a suspect in the murder and aggravated kidnapping of Maira Gutierrez. Investigators are searching for him at both locations.
According to Granados, Gutierrez only had one "gunshot wound to an undisclosed part of her body." Even though Gutierrez and Chacon were not cohabitating at the time of the deadly kidnapping, there had been an upsurge in previous weeks in reports of disturbances and domestic violence incidents. According to authorities, Chacon is still at large and is probably still carrying a weapon.
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Gutierrez's relatives said she did everything in her power to avoid Chacon's abuse, including contacting his ex-wife. The woman, who is married to Chacon and has three children, claimed he repeatedly tried to kill her but managed to leave the relationship alive. According to Pasadena police, Chacon called her on Sept 1 and accused Gutierrez of driving drunk while their shared child was in the car. When police arrived and determined she was not drunk, Gutierrez allegedly accused Chacon of assaulting her a few days earlier.
Witnesses who phoned the police on Monday morning described seeing Chacon shoving Gutierrez into her own SUV in front of his Pasadena home. On Monday evening, the police discovered her body inside the SUV. According to the police, she was shot and died.
Records indicate In Harris County, Chacon has a history of abusing women dating back to 2012. In 2013, he was found guilty twice for attacking his ex-common-law spouse and once for disobeying a protective order. In 2017, Chacon is accused of nearly choking her to death, one of two times his ex-wife said he tried to kill her.
According to KHOU*11, Chacon's ex-wife claimed that Gutierrez contacted her last month seeking assistance. She claimed that she advised her to end the relationship. Every woman's plan is unique, according to the Houston Area Women's Center, and it all boils down to safety planning.
"In almost half of the cases that ended up in death, someone is trying to leave the situation. People think when the relationship ends, the abuse has ended. That's just not the case. The most dangerous time is when someone is trying to leave." HAWC's Sonia Corrales said.
Immediately before 10 a.m. on Monday, Pasadena police received reports of a lady being forced into an SUV at gunpoint outside of an apartment complex along Red Bluff Road close to Beltway 8. Police claimed they were able to identify Chacon as the kidnapping suspect and Gutierrez as the victim after speaking with witnesses.
Around 3 p.m. Monday, investigators said Gutierrez's body was found inside the abandoned SUV on Cedar Crest Street, near the intersection of Mykawa Road and the South Loop. The SUV appeared to be run off the road and ditched at some sort of distribution center. Police said freeway barriers were stored at the location. And no weapons were found at scene, according to the investigators.