Gissell Selena Perez, a 24-year-old Hispanic woman who worked with children with disabilities, was killed on January 19, 2025, in Las Vegas. Authorities say the death followed a history of domestic turmoil in an on-again, off-again relationship. Friends and family recall her as kind and genuine.

Police report that the shooting occurred inside a blue Ford Mustang while Gissell was with her 24-year-old boyfriend, Julio Machado Vasquez. Investigators say Machado Vasquez shot Gissell in the back of the head, then drove around with her body in the passenger seat for nearly two hours. He later called a female acquaintance calling the shooting an accident and asking for help to dispose of the body; she instead called 911. Officers located Machado Vasquez, who fled and crashed at East Charleston Boulevard and North Pecos Road. Gissell was pronounced dead at the scene and Machado Vasquez was arrested and charged with open murder with a deadly weapon; he is being held without bail.

Machado Vasquez gave conflicting accounts, saying in one version that Gissell grabbed a gun and it accidentally discharged, and in another that he was testing the weapon. Friends and family dispute the accidental account, citing a history of stalking and harassment that made Gissell fearful. If anyone knew Gissell or has information about her relationship or the events that morning, please come forward.