Police say the fatal shooting of Dariela Cardona and Erick Von Gerbitz involved Cardona’s former boyfriend, who now faces a capital murder charge.
HOUSTON, Texas — The fatal shooting of a Houston mother and her partner outside a north Houston home has become the latest local homicide case authorities have linked to domestic violence, with the woman’s former boyfriend now jailed on a capital murder charge.
Dariela Elizabeth Cardona, 29, and Erick Von Gerbitz, 41, were killed Monday morning outside a home on Lindale Street, according to police and local reports. David Elijah Herrera, 31, was arrested later that morning in Liberty County and charged with capital murder. Police have described Herrera as Cardona’s former boyfriend and said their investigation points to a domestic violence-related dispute.
Officers responded to 905 Lindale Street at about 8:15 a.m. Oct. 5 after reports of gunfire. They found Cardona and Gerbitz with multiple gunshot wounds outside the residence. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene. Police said no one was inside the home when officers arrived.
Investigators allege Herrera drove past the property and fired multiple shots before leaving the area. Police have not released a complete reconstruction of the shooting, and the allegations against Herrera have not been proven in court. He is charged in the 209th Criminal District Court.
Cardona’s relatives told local reporters that she was a mother of two and worked as a hairstylist. Her family described her as happy, hardworking and loving. A neighbor who knew Cardona and others involved in the case said the violence stunned people familiar with the family and the Lindale Street home where Cardona grew up.
Authorities said Cardona and Gerbitz had recently resumed their relationship. Other reporting citing police said the two had returned from taking a child to school shortly before the shooting. Investigators believe jealousy connected to Cardona’s relationships may have played a role, but any motive remains part of the criminal case and has not been established by a court.
The killings also drew attention from Houston police officials to the role domestic violence has played in recent violent crimes. During the initial investigation, police publicly described domestic violence as an important factor in violent crime facing the city. The Lindale Street case is one of several recent Houston-area killings that law enforcement agencies have investigated as involving current or former intimate partners.
Recent Harris County cases have included several deaths in which authorities allege domestic relationships were involved. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has reported about 23 domestic violence-related homicides during 2026. The cases are separate investigations involving different circumstances, and authorities have not suggested the Lindale Street shooting is connected to any of the others.
The investigation into Cardona and Gerbitz’s deaths moved quickly Monday. Witness information helped detectives identify a red Ford Fusion associated with the case, and police used automated license plate cameras to track the vehicle toward Liberty County. Herrera was arrested there a short time after the shooting and later booked into the Harris County Jail.
Houston police initially withheld the victims’ identities while relatives were being notified. Cardona was first publicly identified by her family, and Gerbitz was identified later as investigators and court proceedings provided more information about the case.
Herrera remained in custody as the capital murder prosecution moved forward. Prosecutors sought to deny bail, while an initial court hearing was scheduled for Wednesday. Police have not announced that the investigation is complete, and additional evidence or court filings could provide a fuller account of what preceded the shooting.
Author note: Last updated October 7, 2026.