Man killed Co-Worker Because She Took Too long of a break

By Olirena Tuamoheloa, October 22nd 2024

A man accused of fatally shooting his co-worker inside a Lewisville, Texas office building was reportedly obsessed with her and angry about what he believed were excessively long work breaks, according to an arrest report.

Travis Merrill, 51, was arrested on Thursday after police said he shot and killed 28-year-old Tamhara Collazo at her desk in the Allegiance Trucks office. The building is located near the temporary headquarters of the Lewisville Police Department, enabling officers to respond within minutes. Merrill was taken into custody on the scene, but Collazo died later from her injuries.

The arrest affidavit reveals that Merrill told detectives he had become increasingly angry with Collazo over what he considered “unauthorized long breaks” and her lack of attention toward him. His obsession with her escalated over several months, and Collazo eventually reported his behavior to human resources, telling Merrill to stop watching her during her breaks. Following the HR complaint, Merrill was required to speak with a counselor before returning to work.

After his return, Collazo reportedly avoided him, further intensifying Merrill’s anger. He confessed to purchasing guns and practicing with them at home, bringing them to work on multiple occasions but deciding not to act because “it didn’t feel like the right time.”

On the day of the shooting, Merrill followed Collazo during her lunch break, watched her sit in her car, and then retrieved two revolvers from his vehicle. As Collazo re-entered the office, he followed her to her cubicle and “ambushed” her, firing several shots. Collazo was hit five times in front of more than two dozen co-workers who witnessed the attack.

Merrill turned himself in to the police immediately upon their arrival, providing detailed accounts of Collazo’s break times and the duration of each. He reportedly told detectives that Collazo had caused him emotional pain, and he wanted her to feel the same. He also admitted to intentionally planning the shooting during work hours to ensure others were present.

Merrill is now being held in the Denton County Jail with a $10 million bond on a murder charge. I

n a statement, Allegiance Trucks expressed its devastation over the loss of their team member. “The company is providing support to the victim’s family and the rest of our employees, who thankfully were unharmed,” the statement read. “We have closed our Lewisville office indefinitely and are working closely with law enforcement during their investigation. We ask for the community’s support as our company has, unfortunately, joined the growing national community of workplaces affected by gun violence.”

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.