Police in Texas have arrested a man after he allegedly shot two cheerleaders who claim they had gotten into the wrong vehicle after practice Tuesday morning.
Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr., 25, was arrested and charged with third-degree felony deadly conduct after allegedly shooting the two girls in an H-E-B parking lot just after midnight on April 18, a press release from the Elgin Police Department revealed.
Cheerleader Heather Roth suffered a superficial gunshot wound after she mistakenly opened the door to a vehicle she believed to be her own after her teammates dropped her off in the grocery store parking lot they used for carpooling, ABC 13 News reported. Upon opening the car door she found a man sitting in the passenger seat.
Realizing she had made a mistake, Roth told the authorities she went back to her friend’s car and that the suspect then approached the vehicle. Roth told authorities she rolled down the window to apologize for the mistake when Rodriguez pulled out a gun and opened fire, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Homeowner Allegedly Shoots 16-Year-Old Who Approached Wrong Home, Sparking Mass Protests)
Though Roth only suffered a graze in the attack, her teammate and friend Payton Washington was reportedly shot in the leg and the back, according to ABC 13. “Payton opens the door, and she starts throwing up blood,” Roth stated.
Washington was transported by helicopter to the hospital, where she remains in critical condition. The shooting reportedly damaged multiple organs, requiring several surgeries, including the removal of Washington’s spleen, the outlet reported.
The cheerleading team’s head coach, Felecia Mulkey of Baylor University, released a statement after visiting Washington in the hospital.
“Payton is a strong young lady; if you know her, you know that about her. I have no doubt she’s going to get through this. She’s an amazing athlete but a better human, and that’s why she’s a part of our Baylor family. My prayers are with Payton and her teammates that were involved in last night’s tragic event. I know mental wounds also leave scars. We want to lift up the athletes and their families during this difficult time. We love Payton, and we wish her well as she recovers,” Mulkey stated, according to ABC 13 News.
Law enforcement officials revealed that more charges against Rodriguez are likely to be forthcoming, the outlet reported.