Kayla Quintero

Kayla Quintero, a 29-year-old woman, lost her life in Lubbock, Texas, on the night of March 11, 2020. The incident occurred at the South Lubbock home she shared with her boyfriend on the 700 block of 79th Street.

At approximately 10:40 p.m., the Lubbock Police Department responded to a call about shots being fired at the residence. When officers and emergency medical personnel arrived, they found Kayla unresponsive. She had suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit launched an investigation into the shooting. Investigators learned that a domestic dispute had taken place between Kayla and her boyfriend, Jason Mercado, just before she was shot. According to a police report, Mercado was also accused of threatening a neighbor with the firearm after the shooting. He was arrested the following day.

Mercado was initially booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center on a murder charge, with his bail set at $250,000. In June 2020, a grand jury indicted him for murder. He was released on bond in July 2020 while the case proceeded through the court system.

After more than four years, the legal proceedings came to a conclusion. In October 2024, ahead of a scheduled trial, Mercado accepted a plea deal offered by the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office. He appeared in the 140th District Court and pleaded guilty to the lesser-included charge of manslaughter. The District Attorney's office stated that a review of evidence and autopsy reports suggested the charge was closer to manslaughter than murder. Mercado was sentenced to 10 years of probation, which concluded the case in October 2024.