In a heart-wrenching interview with KPRC 2′s Corley Peel, Reyna Ruiz opened up about the nightmarish road rage incident that claimed the life of her high school sweetheart, 21-year-old Angel Muniz-Acosta.
Their love story, once filled with dreams and laughter, was brutally shattered on a fateful Sunday afternoon in November.
Reyna and Angel, inseparable since high school, spent six years together. Angel had aspirations of becoming a mechanic. Little did they know that an ordinary trip to get tacos would lead to a tragedy that would extinguish those dreams forever.
“We were just getting tacos,” Ruiz recalled, setting the stage for the horrific events that unfolded on Nov. 19, 2023.
The couple found themselves entangled in a random road rage incident, a routine drive escalating into a nightmare.
Eyewitnesses later revealed that as Angel reversed out of a private driveway on Muscatine Street, a Toyota Camry appeared on the scene. The chilling encounter took a terrifying turn as the suspect’s vehicle, speeding recklessly, swerved around an SUV before nearly striking the back of their truck, prompting Muniz-Acosta to yell at the driver.
The suspects slowed down, a handgun emerged, and gunshots rang out. In a desperate attempt to shield herself, Ruiz threw her head between her knees as Angel fell on top of her.
“I got scared, and I ducked. And then when I don’t hear anything at all, I lift up my head, and we crash into a ditch, and Angel falls on top of me. And there’s a gunshot in the back of his head,” Ruiz recounted.
The aftermath revealed 16 bullet holes in their truck. The suspects fled the scene, leaving Ruiz to grapple with the aftermath of a senseless act of violence. Muniz-Acosta, clinging to life, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Tragically, on Nov. 21, the decision was made to remove him from life support.
Ruiz expressed her frustration over the loss of her best friend.
“I just don’t understand how they could kill somebody like that,” she said.
Ruiz fondly remembered Angel’s laughter and his corny jokes, highlighting the warmth and joy that defined their relationship. When asked what she missed about him, Ruiz said: “Everything. We were always together. We had thought of our future together, and now that was ripped away from me. And now I’ll never get to see him again.”
The killer remains on the run. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $5,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) responsible for this crime.