KIRBY, Texas – Kirby police are charging Raquel Ramos, 43, with manslaughter in the shooting death of her 37-year-old boyfriend, whose name has not yet been released.
Unlike the charge of murder -- which involves intent -- Kirby police Sgt. Michael Alonzo said Ramos should have known pointing a shotgun at someone carries a risk of injury or death.
Alonzo said that especially holds true given the circumstances leading up to the fatal shotgun blast.
"Anytime you mix alcohol and firearms, nothing ever good comes out of it," Alonzo said. "Apparently, they both, or one of them, was intoxicated at the time."
Alonzo said Ramos claimed she didn't know it was loaded when it accidentally discharged.
The shooting occurred 5 a.m. Friday inside Ramos' home in the 4800 block of Julie at the Springfield Meadows mobile home park in Kirby.
"Her kids and her grandchildren were in the house at the time, but none of them were awake," Alonzo said.
He said Ramos' boyfriend had brought over the shotgun that she wanted for protection.
Kirby Police Chief Kevin Bois said Ramos told police, "She never fired a weapon before, so he was supposedly teaching her safe handling."
The chief said instead, her boyfriend was shot in the chest, and later died en route or after arriving at San Antonio Military Medical Center.
Alonzo said Ramos already was charged with assaulting a family member about a month earlier. He said now if she's convicted of manslaughter, Ramos faces up to 20 years in prison.
He said the incident should serve as a lesson to others.
"If you point a gun at somebody and pull a trigger, you should know that something could go wrong," Alonzo said.