Texas authorities revealed that a man, Travis Merrill, 51, was arrested for the alleged murder of his coworker, Tamhara Collazo, at their workplace, Allegiance Trucks in Lewisville, Texas, about 30 miles from Dallas.
According to police, Merrill was reportedly obsessed with Collazo and deeply frustrated by what he perceived to be her “unauthorized long breaks.”
He meticulously tracked her break patterns, growing increasingly fixated on the idea that she was taking advantage of work time.
The incident unfolded after Collazo returned from her lunch break on Thursday. Merrill followed her into the office, ambushing her at her cubicle, and opened fire multiple times. Collazo was rushed to the hospital but tragically succumbed to her injuries.
An affidavit revealed Merrill admitted to his obsession with Collazo and acknowledged that he had become increasingly angry when she took breaks and avoided interacting with him.
Merrill’s resentment escalated after Collazo reported his disturbing behavior to the company’s HR department, which prompted Allegiance Trucks to order Merrill to seek counseling. Afterward, Merrill claimed Collazo distanced herself from him, which further enraged him.
In response, Merrill premeditated the attack, purchasing firearms and bringing them to work on several occasions. He confessed to police that his intent was to make Collazo “feel pain” in a public setting, deliberately choosing the workplace as the scene of the crime.
