Selena Felix, 30, was found shot to death outside her Phoenix home around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 22. Police say 23-year-old Alexis Torres was pulled over about an hour earlier, fled, barricaded himself, and later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. A 3-year-old who reportedly witnessed the killing was found in Torres’s car and had been reported missing from Felix’s home. Investigators say the incident stemmed from a custody dispute, though court records indicate Torres is not the child’s father.
Mother Of Five Killed In Alleged Murder–Suicide; 3-Year-Old Witnesses Killing And Is Briefly Abducted
GoFundMeSelina Felix
Five young children will spend the holidays without their mother after authorities say a suspected murder–suicide left a 30-year-old Phoenix woman dead and a 3-year-old briefly abducted.
Selena Felix, 30, was found fatally shot outside her Phoenix home at about 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 22, according to the Phoenix Police Department. Officers say Felix had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
What Police Say Happened
Investigators say they searched the neighborhood for suspicious vehicles and, after running a license plate, discovered that the registered driver had been stopped by officers roughly an hour earlier. Police identified the driver as 23-year-old Alexis Torres.
GoFundMeSelena Felix
According to police, Torres fled when officers pulled him over, then barricaded himself inside a nearby residence. Officers attempting to negotiate with Torres reported hearing a single gunshot; they later found him dead of an apparently self-inflicted wound. A 3-year-old child was located inside Torres’s vehicle during the stop.
Timeline And Investigation
It took investigators about an hour to link Torres to the homicide at Felix’s home and nearly three more hours before family members confirmed that the toddler found in Torres’s vehicle had been reported missing from Felix’s residence. Authorities allege Torres took the child from Felix on the night of Dec. 21 and then fatally shot her in what police say was related to a custody dispute.
Phoenix police say they reviewed court records that indicate Torres is not the child’s father. Officers have not released additional details about charges or a complete timeline of events as the investigation continues.
"A loving mother, a caring sister, and a friend to many," Felix’s relatives wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to support the family. The page says her five young children are "struggling to understand why their mother is no longer with them."
The family established the fundraiser to help with immediate expenses while they cope with the loss. Police continue to investigate and have not announced further developments.
