Tamhara Collazo Death: Texas man accused of stalking and killing coworker after spiralling into ‘obsession’ with duration of her breaks. According to reports, a Texas man was accused of murdering his coworker after growing preoccupied with how much time she spent on breaks and furious that she was not paying him enough attention.
Travis Merrill, 51, was arrested on Thursday in Lewisville, on the outskirts of Dallas, and charged with fatally shooting Tamhara Collazo at her desk in the trucking firm where they both worked. Police were called to the office at 11.30 a.m. due to claims of an active shooter, only to find Merrill on his knees, hands in the air, and a pair of revolvers in his jacket on the floor.
However, when questioned by authorities, Merrill allegedly confessed to a spiralling preoccupation with his younger colleague that resulted in a deliberate shooting. According to court documents obtained by local station KDFW, Merrill became “obsessed with Collazo and began getting ever-increasingly angry [at] her taking what he considered unauthorized long breaks during work hours, as well as not paying any attention to him.”
The Family will release Tamhara Collazo’s Obituary and Funeral Arrangements
Merrill allegedly stalked Collazo for several months, following her during her breaks to the point that he could recall a complete list of specific dates and break lengths when questioned by authorities. Collazo allegedly confronted Merrill about his behaviour and reported him to HR, causing him to be suspended until he met with a counsellor. When he returned to work, Collazo naturally avoided him. According to the records, this enraged Merrill, who began purchasing firearms and exercising with them at his home.
“[He felt that Collazo] had caused him pain, and he wanted her to feel pain, so he intentionally planned to shoot her at work with everyone there,” according to the evidence. Finally, on October 17, Merrill allegedly watched Collazo during her lunch break, grabbed his pistols from his car, followed her back into the workplace, and “ambushed” her in her cubicle.
Collazo was 37 years old and had been employed at Allegiance as an accounts receivable specialist since November 2022, according to public records and her LinkedIn profile. Collazo’s employer, Allegiance Trucks, said KDFW that the shooting had devastated it and that it had closed its Lewisville office “indefinitely”.
“We ask for the community’s support, as our company has unfortunately joined the growing national community of workplaces affected by gun violence,” according to the organization.
