Trial begins for Pasadena man accused of kidnapping and then killing his ex-girlfriend in 2022
PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- A Pasadena man accused of kidnapping and then killing his ex-girlfriend will go on trial this week.
Maira Gutierrez was murdered two years ago, and ABC13 later uncovered that she had called police for help multiple times.
Gutierrez left behind four children.
"It took a big part of our hearts, off each of them. He took them with her," Jimmy Puente, Gutierrez's ex-husband and the father of three of her children, said.
My first reaction is always an overwhelming sense of sadness and defeat. Am I surprised? Sadly not.Jamie Rae Wright, domestic violence survivor and advocate
"We've waited two long, devastating years, and the day is finally here," Andrea Gutierrez, Maira's sister, said.
Daniel Chacon was Maira's ex-boyfriend and the father of her youngest daughter.
Police say he forced Gutierrez into her own SUV by gunpoint when she came to visit their daughter, then shot and killed her.
Chacon was arrested in Mexico.
Court records show he had a history of violence against women in Harris County dating back to 2012.
Wright serves on the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. She's also a domestic violence survivor, and knows firsthand that legal and emotional recourses are limited.
"The need to combat, address, and hopefully eradicate domestic violence as compared to the shelters, the awareness, and the help for the people that are causing the harm in the relationship, Ii just doesn't add out," she said.
According to the Houston Area Women's Center, one in three women in our area will experience domestic violence.
The majority of victims never call police, and the ones who do don't always receive the help they need.
In the case of Gutierrez, she had called police on Chacon before.
But charges were never accepted by the district attorney.
"She begged, and they came out and kept pushing it away, pushing it away. Go to different sources, different places that offer help," Puente said. "I think this could have been avoided. We don't know to what extent, but this could have been avoided."
If you or a loved one needs help, the Houston Area Women's Center has a free hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE (7322).
Licensed professionals can guide you through the legal system and get you to safety.
The hotline receives 120 calls a day.
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