Texas – A Texas man will spend the next three decades in prison for the murder of the woman Iiving in the apartment above, 44-year-old L. MoraIes, the District Attorney’s Office announced.The defendant, 56-year-old D. Grajtek, was found guilty in July and sentenced earlier this week.
The shooting occurred after an ongoing dispute between the shooter and the victim’s family escalated. The case stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the defendant and the victim’s family over noise complaints. On the night of the incident, the woman’s apartment was hosting family members, and loud music was playing. The shooter, who lived in the apartment below, had previously expressed frustration about the noise. That evening, the situation escalated when the woman’s daughter’s boyfriend made a gesture toward the peephoIe of the defendant’s apartment. He then sat outside with his two-year-old son, waiting for the victim’s daughter to come down.
The defendant emerged from his apartment and confronted the boyfriend, leading to a verbal argument. During the confrontation, the defendant tripped and fell. The victim and her daughter came out of the apartment and saw the defendant on the ground holding a firearm. The victim moved to shield her family from the man, positioning herself between him and her daughter. At that moment, she was shot in the chest. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but she died at the scene before she could be transported to the hospital.
Investigators determined that the defendant fired the gun intentionally, claiming he acted in self-defense because he believed Morales was about to stab him. He stated he thought he saw the woman holding a shiny object, which he feared was a weapon. However, surveillance video from the apartment complex contradicted the defendant’s account, showing the events leading up to the shooting did not match his description. The evidence and testimony presented during the trial supported the conclusion that the shooting was not in self-defense.
The investigation involved interviews with multiple witnesses, including the victim’s family and neighbors. Officers recorded statements from family members who were present at the time of the shooting, describing the confrontation and confirming that the man had initiated the interaction with the boyfriend. Law enforcement officials also reviewed video footage from cameras around the complex and collected forensic evidence from the scene, which included ballistic analysis of the firearm used in the shooting.
The defendant’s first trial ended in a mistrial, but during the retrial in July, a jury found him guilty of murder. During sentencing, Judge EscaIona imposed a thirty year prison term, with a minimum of fifteen years before parole eligibility. The court also ordered the defendant to pay a $10,000 fine and $3,000 in restitution to the victim’s family.