Merlyn Yolibeth Perez-Orellana was 24 when she was shot and killed on January 21, 2014, while walking in west Houston to pick up her young daughter from school. The shooting took place in the 3400 block of Rockyridge Drive, near Emerson Elementary School. A male suspect approached Perez-Orellana, shot her multiple times, and fled on foot. Police described the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 30s, about 5 feet 7 inches, with a slim build, and released a composite sketch as the investigation continued.

After her death the child entered Child Protective Services custody and, following a lengthy legal process to confirm the father’s ability to care for her, was returned to him in Honduras. Perez-Orellana had sought asylum in the United States, citing alleged abuse by the child’s father in Honduras, a detail that shaped the family’s circumstances before and after the killing. Anyone with information about the shooting or the suspect is urged to come forward.