Woman killed after teens ‘mistakenly’ shoot her Texas Airbnb with 100 rounds
By Carl Samson
A woman was killed in Texas after a group of teenagers allegedly fired around 100 rounds at her San Antonio home by “mistake” last week.
Novita Brazil, a 25-year-old Indonesian national, was working on her computer when her home in the 14000 block of Bald Mountain Drive came under intense gun shooting after 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 4.
Brazil is believed to have died almost instantly. Meanwhile, a 41-year-old woman staying as an Airbnb guest in another bedroom was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Deputies patrolling the neighborhood at the time heard the gunshots. They spotted a vehicle “fleeing the area at a high speed” and pursued it.
Novita Brazil. Image via GoFundMe
The deputies eventually caught up with the vehicle — which was allegedly stolen — and arrested a 14- and 15-year-old on charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Additionally, the 14-year-old was charged with evading arrest on foot, while the 15-year-old was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
On Friday, three more teenagers — aged 14, 15 and 17 — were arrested in connection with the incident. The 14- and 15-year-old were charged with deadly conduct with a firearm, while the 17-year-old, identified as Johnny Bermea, was charged with felony deadly conduct with a firearm.
Johnny Bermea. Image via Bexar County Central Records
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar believes the suspects “hit the wrong house” in a drive-by shooting, which resulted in Brazil’s death.
“The blatant disregard for human life displayed by these two groups turned a quiet suburban neighborhood into a war zone and led to two innocent young women being shot, with one losing her life,” Salazar said in a statement. “While these dangerous young suspects and guns are off the street, so much work has yet to be done.”
Novita Brazil lived in San Antonio with her husband of three years, Robert Brazil Jr. Image via GoFundMe
Indonesia’s Consulate General in Houston has begun efforts to repatriate Brazil’s remains for her funeral in her home of Semarang in Central Java. Meanwhile, Brazil’s family has asked for privacy as they grieve her loss.
Brazil is survived by her husband of three years, Robert Brazil Jr. A fundraising campaign on GoFundMe created for her described her as a “kind, selfless, funny, loving and adventurous” woman with “a heart of gold.”
Share this Article
Share this Article
