In the very place where she should have felt safe, family members report that a mother from Mesquite was shot early Sunday morning and left for dead outside her apartment.
Nancy Ayala, a mother of four, is currently fighting for her life in the hospital.
As her condition worsens, the police are on a hunt for the man they suspect is responsible, reportedly her boyfriend.
“They were a family, so really we don’t know why this got to this point,” said Ayala’s cousin Kimberly.
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Kimberly requested that her last name not be used as the Mesquite Police continued their search for the accused gunman, 25-year-old Samuel Tovar. She mentioned that Tovar and Ayala had been living together and dating for several years.
“In this last couple of weeks, there have been things that she’s said and things that she’s done and brought up that made us believe he wasn’t any good for her,” Kimberly said.
She mentioned that the couple's personal surveillance cameras had recorded Tovar shooting Ayala during a fight around 3 a.m. Sunday before he fled the apartment. She believes friends may now be helping him hide.
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Meanwhile, Ayala clings to life. Doctors have removed parts of her lung and liver, but the family worries most about brain damage after her heart stopped for several minutes.
“If they were to see the way she was right now, lifeless, literally lifeless, not moving, all the things that are wrong, literally declining, I feel like they would understand why we need him to get caught,” said Kimberly.
The family is also concerned about Ayala's four children, three of whom were present during the shooting. They play a significant role in the family's determination to seek justice, which is why they are urging anyone with information to come forward.
“This could be your sister or your cousin or your mom. This could happen to anyone. We didn’t think it could happen to us,” said Kimberly.
Mesquite Police said the shooting remains an ongoing investigation.
