Dariela Cardona and Erick Von Gerbitz were killed outside a Lindale Street home after taking a child to school.
HOUSTON, Texas — The family of a north Houston couple is seeking justice after Dariela Elizabeth Cardona, 29, and Erick Von Gerbitz, 41, were fatally shot outside a home Monday morning, shortly after they had taken a child to school, according to police, relatives and local reports.
The Oct. 5 killings have left relatives mourning two parents while a capital murder case moves into court. Houston police arrested 31-year-old David Elijah Herrera in Liberty County a short time after the shooting and charged him with capital murder in the 209th Criminal District Court. Authorities have described the case as connected to a domestic dispute involving Cardona and a former relationship. The charge is an accusation, and Herrera has not been convicted.
Houston police said officers were sent to 905 Lindale Street at about 8:15 a.m. after reports of gunfire. Officers found a 29-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene. Their names were released after relatives were notified.
Cardona and Gerbitz had taken their young son to school shortly before the shooting, according to reports citing investigators and family members. Police said the shooting happened after neighborhood children had left for school. Investigators have alleged that Herrera, identified in court records and police accounts as Cardona’s former boyfriend, was responsible for the gunfire.
Cardona was remembered by relatives and neighbors as a mother of two who was working to build a career as a hairstylist. A longtime neighbor told local reporters that Cardona had grown up in the neighborhood and was devoted to her children. The salon where she worked closed as friends and coworkers mourned her death. Gerbitz was identified as Cardona’s partner and the father of one of her children.
Police have said Cardona and Gerbitz had recently resumed their relationship. Authorities have not released a complete account of everything that happened before the shooting, and some details about earlier interactions among those involved remain allegations that have not been tested in court. Investigators have described the killings as a suspected domestic violence case.
The investigation moved quickly after the shooting. Police said a member of the public obtained information about the vehicle leaving the area, including license plate information. Investigators then used automated license plate cameras to trace a red vehicle as it traveled northeast of Houston. Herrera was later taken into custody in Liberty County.
Houston police formally announced that Herrera had been charged with capital murder after consulting with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Police said the capital murder charge stems from the deaths of two people in the same incident. Prosecutors are responsible for proving the allegations in court, and the case remains pending.
The deaths have also renewed attention to domestic violence in the Houston area. Houston Police Department Capt. Ryan Watson said during the initial investigation that domestic violence was contributing to violent crime in the city. Authorities classified the Lindale Street shooting as a domestic-related incident based on information gathered during the investigation.
For Cardona’s and Gerbitz’s relatives, the criminal case is unfolding alongside the immediate loss of two parents. Friends, relatives and neighbors gathered after the killings, while Cardona’s two sons were left without their mother. Family members have said they want accountability as prosecutors begin pursuing the case against Herrera.
Herrera remained in the Harris County Jail as the case moved toward an initial court proceeding Wednesday. Prosecutors have asked that he be denied bail, according to court records cited by local media. No final determination in the criminal case had been announced as of Wednesday morning.
Author note: Last updated October 7, 2026.