After a July 6 police standoff in Houston, University of Houston student Abigail Trujillo says her parked Nissan Altima was struck about 40 times, causing roughly $20,000 in damage. The City of Houston initially denied her claim, citing governmental immunity, and she paid $200 to retrieve the car from impound. Legal experts point to Texas Supreme Court precedent that generally requires compensation when law enforcement foreseeably destroys innocent property. The mayor's office later said it had become involved to help resolve the case.
Houston Student’s Parked Car Shot About 40 Times During Police Standoff; City Initially Denies Repair Claim
Photo Credit: iStock
A University of Houston student says her parked Nissan Altima was struck roughly 40 times during a police standoff on July 6, leaving the vehicle with about $20,000 in damage and prompting a dispute over who should pay for repairs.
What Happened
According to ABC13, 20-year-old Abigail Trujillo was working a retail shift when gunfire from a police confrontation at the Highland Village shopping center struck her parked Altima. Houston Police say the driver of the allegedly stolen vehicle, identified as Jamarcus Spates, was grazed; Trujillo's car was hit about 40 times.
Immediate Consequences
The station reported the vehicle sustained roughly $20,000 in damage. Trujillo said the car is essential to her routine: "I use it for school, I use it for work." She also said police impounded the car for the investigation and she paid $200 out of pocket to retrieve it from the HPD impound lot.
Claim Denied
When Trujillo filed a damage claim, the City of Houston sent a letter invoking governmental immunity and saying it was "not legally liable" for the damage, leaving her to pay for repairs and rely on a friend's vehicle to get to classes and shifts.
Legal Context
Jeffrey Redfern, a senior attorney at the nonprofit Institute for Justice, told ABC13 that Texas precedent generally favors compensating innocent property owners when law enforcement intentionally or foreseeably destroys property while performing their duties. "The Texas Supreme Court has held since 1980 that when law enforcement intentionally or foreseeably destroys innocent people's property in the course of doing their jobs, the innocent property owners are entitled to be compensated," Redfern said.
"I agree they're not liable because they did something wrong, but the law is pretty clear in Texas that they are liable for this kind of intentional destruction," he told ABC13.
City Response And Wider Pattern
ABC13 reported that roughly 300 people filed claims alleging property damage tied to Houston Police Department activity from 2024 through early 2025, with only about one in four of those claims paid. When the station asked Mayor John Whitmire's office about Trujillo's claim, it received two statements: the first said the mayor had personally become involved and called the situation "initially mishandled due to a technicality"; a revised statement later omitted the line about mishandling.
Impact On The Owner
Trujillo told ABC13 she was surprised the city denied liability and said she would wait to hear from the mayor's office after learning it had stepped in. In the meantime, she has had to cover recovery costs and borrow transportation while her car remains unusable.
Related Cases
The station noted other disputes over who pays for property damage, including a Tesla owner who said his parked Model Y was kicked and insurance provided no relief, a Colorado homeowner embroiled in a homeowners association lawsuit over alleged tree damage, and renewed litigation in Richmond, Indiana, over an alleged plastics fire.
Help us improve.
