West Texas 15-Year-Old Tried as Adult After Murdering Mother and Two Kids

A 15-year-old in Odessa will be tried as an adult after he heinously shot a mother and her two children as young as 9-years-old. This happened during a feud with his ex-girlfriend after the shooter sought revenge against the girl and her family.

A Horrific 911 Call

According to News West 9, the Odessa Police Department responded to a call of shots fired at 5:45 p.m. on December 9, 2025. When they arrived on the scene in the 8700 block of Hunter Miller Way, three victims, an adult and two children, were found each sustaining gunshot wounds. None of the victims survived the attack.

The identities of the deceased were released shortly thereafter. 39-year-old Jessica Rodriguez, her 9-year-old son, and her 13-year-old daughter were all shot and killed.

Shooter Was Finally Identified

Odessa Police began their investigations where they found 15-year-old Damien Gabriel Valdez nearby, placing him under arrest roughly 40 minutes after the initial emergency call.

Investigators later discovered that Valdez planned on targeting his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend outside of her school. He then decided to target her home instead where the three victims happened to be residing.

Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke stated that the act was clearly "deliberate," and that it was "such a tragic and cowardly act of violence."

Valdez's ex-girlfriend was confirmed to have not been at the house during the attack and was uninjured.

Valdez was booked into the Ector County Jail, charged with Capital Murder of Multiple Persons—a first degree felony. His sentence has yet to be determined, but it was confirmed that he will be tried as an adult once he faces the judge.