An Ector County grand jury has handed down two indictments in connection with a fatal shooting and a December 2022 crash that took the lives of two people.
Stephanie Diane Tuell, who turns 38 on Saturday, was booked into the Ector County jail Wednesday on a first-degree murder charge. According to her May 9 indictment, Tuell “intentionally or knowingly” caused the death of her husband, Joe Abril, by shooting him on June 18, 2022.
Tuell is scheduled to be arraigned Monday by Ector County Judge Lori Ruiz-Crutcher. She’s being held on a $200,000 surety bond, but her attorney, Bret Mansur, is seeking to have her bond lowered.
Mansur also hopes to convince the judge to allow his client to continue to work in Midland County. She is currently on house arrest and subject to GPS monitoring. He’d like the judge to rescind the order regarding GPS because Tuell can’t afford it, he said.
According to Tuell’s arrest affidavit, she called 911 to report she’d just shot her husband.
When police arrived at the home in the 2500 block of North Tom Green, they found Tuell in the front yard. She told officers Abril, 58, had been shot and was inside the house. She said the gun was also inside the house and “I wish I was sorry, but I’m not,” according to the report.
Officers found Abril suffering in the bathroom from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and one to the back of his head, the report stated. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Tuell invoked her right to remain silent, but also continued to make statements, such as “No one messes with my kids,” according to the report.
Jose Ramirez, 19, was also arrested Wednesday and booked into the Ector County jail. He’s scheduled to be arraigned by Ruiz-Crutcher on two counts of intoxication manslaughter on Monday.
According to his May 9 indictments, he was intoxicated when he crashed into a vehicle being driven by 23-year-old Linda Hernandez, killing her, and his passenger, John Escontrias, 20, on Dec. 10, 2022.
The crash took place in the 4900 block of East 42nd Street.
Ramirez was released from the jail Wednesday after posting a $25,000 surety bond.
