Florida woman calls 911 to report body of an 'unknown' woman in her driveway, but police say she killed her
A Florida woman who called 911 to report the body of an "unknown" gunshot victim in her driveway actually shot and killed the woman, according to police.
Coral Springs resident Yvonne Serrano, 51, called emergency dispatchers just before 6 a.m. Saturday to report the dead woman, later identified as 21-year-old Daniela Tabares Maya, according to a release by the Coral Springs Police Department. Taberes was pronounced dead at the scene when first responders arrived minutes later.
When police arrived, they saw Maya "partially inside" the driver's side of a Nissan Kicks parked in the center of the driveway, according to a police affidavit. The driver's side door was open, and Maya's right foot was still inside the SUV as she lay on her back in the driveway with a gunshot wound to her forehead.
Maya and Serrano allegedly saw the movie "21 Bridges" around 7:30 p.m. the night before but apparently "did not sit together," according to the affidavit.
Serrano allegedly told police that she and Maya were "part of a large group of friends" who all attend the same gym in Coral Springs and that the gathering for drinks and a movie was planned several days before.
After the movie, the group went to the gastropub World of Beer, and surveillance video from that night shows Maya and Serrano there between 9:43 p.m. Friday and 1:25 a.m. Saturday, where they were "conversing, laughing and drinking for several hours," according to the affidavit. They were then seen on the footage leaving the bar together.
Surveillance video taken in Serrano's neighborhood shows Maya pulling into her driveway at 2 a.m., and the headlights turned off five minutes later, according to the affidavit.
Serrano initially told police that she happened upon Maya's body when she left her home to go to the gym and "dialed 911 immediately," but she was not dressed in gym clothes when police arrived, according to the affidavit.
The medical examiner determined that Maya died from a single gunshot to the head, and there was no exit wound.
Serrano then told police that she "blacked out" at World of Beer and "had no recollection of how she got home" and that she woke up in her own bed.
A trainer at the gym the women attended provided a sworn statement to police saying he had firsthand knowledge that Maya drove Serrano home after they left the bar.
When investigators questioned Serrano about a damp tank top in her laundry room, Serrano allegedly stated that she had washed the tank top early that morning and stated that she was wearing it that night.
Later, when Serrano was being questioned at the police department, she "changed her story," stating that she actually woke up in the passenger seat of Maya's car at 5:55 a.m. and saw Maya lying on the driveway, according to the police affidavit.
Serrano then stated that she had a concealed weapons permit and owned three guns, one of which, a 9 mm pistol, she carries around with her, adding that she removed the pistol from her purse and placed it in her master bedroom while still in the holster after calling 911 and checking Maya's vitals.
Serrano then changed out of the white tank top she was wearing and placed it in the washing machine because it had blood on it, she allegedly told police.
Serrano allegedly told police that she initially was going to take an Uber home but that Maya volunteered to drive her. Serrano also allegedly stated that she went onto the Ring doorbell app on her phone and deleted all the files prior to 6:36 a.m. on Saturday, as per the affidavit.
Her pistol tested positive for human blood on the holster, and the shell casings located inside Maya's car were consistent with Serrano's gun, police said.
Serrano was charged with tampering or fabricating physical evidence and second-degree murder, according to police. She is currently being housed at the Broward County Jail without bond.
She has not yet appeared in court, and it is unclear if she has retained an attorney.
