Kissimmee Police have apprehended a man linked to the tragic events that transpired in the early minutes of New Year's Day, resulting in the death of a local woman. According to ClickOrlando, 44-year-old Carlos Tejada has been identified as the suspect and is confronted with charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence.
It was while Carmen Neira Ochoa, aged 56, rejoiced in the New Year's fireworks on her back porch along with her adult daughters that she suffered a fatal bullet wound. The interim chief of Police in Kissimmee, Robert Anzueto, lamented the "stupid act" of celebratory gunfire, stressing the dire consequences of such careless actions. In a statement detailed by ClickOrlando, Anzueto described the scene where Ochoa "realized that she had been hit by celebratory gunfire" and the frantic attempt by her daughters to render life-saving measures.
The incident took place in a Kissimmee neighborhood where Tejada allegedly fired his gun from his backyard, subsequently striking Ochoa across a lake and into her screened-in porch. In a report by WESH, a Ring camera video captured the urgency of multiple Kissimmee police vehicles arriving at the home following the incident. Neira, a mother of three and grandmother to two, was at home when the celebration turned tragic.
When the police arrested Tejada at his Anhinga Drive residence, a woman using the Ring Camera asked News 6 to vacate the property. During the arrest, officers recovered 11 guns from the scene.
With Tejada now in custody, the investigation into the fateful New Year's gunfire continues.
