A University of Houston student named Abigail Trujillo says her car was struck by roughly 40 bullets during a police pursuit at Highland Village shopping center on July 6. She had parked her Nissan Altima next to the stolen vehicle, and now she cannot drive it while repairs remain unpaid. Trujillo is 20 years old.
The incident took place while Trujillo was employed at a retail store inside the shopping center. She says her Altima serves both her school and work duties. Police located a vehicle reported stolen from the Highland Village region and entered into a standoff with its driver, who was identified as Jamarcus Spates. People at the scene captured Spates opening his car door and reaching an object outside before officers discharged their firearms. Spates was struck but survived, according to those in authority.
The Damage To Trujillo’s Car
The car belonging to Trujillo was struck by an estimated 40 rounds of gunfire. The cost to fix it was roughly $20,000. A request for compensation was made to the City of Houston, which replied with a note asserting its legal protection against such claims and that it was “not legally liable.”.
A car Trujillo can no longer use is still costing her money through regular payments. She has had to borrow someone else’s vehicle just to travel between home, school, and work, leaving her own sitting unused.
What The Attorney Says
A senior attorney for the nonprofit Institute of Justice, Jeffrey Redfern, argues that the law supports Trujillo. He cited a precedent from 1980.
“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.
Redfern contends the city distorted Trujillo’s request. His position is that the claim was cast as a tort claim about officer wrongdoing instead of a matter of whether the government must pay an innocent property owner.
The Claim Numbers
According to data obtained by 13 Investigates, roughly 300 individuals filed claims asserting property damage linked to activity by the Houston Police Department between 2024 and the early part of 2025. Of those claims, only a quarter were actually paid.
When ABC13 asked the Mayor’s office Wednesday about Trujillo’s situation, it received two different statements. The first said: “Mayor Whitmire has personally gotten involved in the resolution of this situation. It will be resolved in a fair manner, as it was initially mishandled due to a technicality.” The second statement, given after ABC13 asked when the Mayor decided to get involved, removed the line about it being mishandled due to a technicality.
Trujillo learned of the Mayor’s involvement during her interview with ABC13.
The Tow Bill
The shooting probe included the towing of Trujillo’s vehicle. Seven days after that, she spent $200 of her own money to get her car back from the Houston Police Department vehicle impound lot.
What Happens Next
The city has not reversed its position that it is not legally liable. Trujillo’s repair bills remain unpaid, and she continues to borrow a friend’s car to get to school and work.
Mayor Whitmire has promised that the matter will be settled in a fair way, according to his opening remark. It remains uncertain whether that resolution will come before Trujillo’s payments are due.
Key Facts Box
- Incident date: July 6
- Car damaged: Nissan Altima
- Owner: Abigail Trujillo, 20, UH student
- Estimated damage: About 40 bullets, roughly $20,000 in repairs
- Claim status: City cites governmental immunity, “not legally liable”
- Repair payment: Trujillo is making payments on the car
- Borrowed car: Friend’s vehicle for daily travel
- Tow bill: Paid $200 to retrieve car from impound
- Claims data: About 300 filed from 2024–2025, only one in four paid
- Mayor’s involvement: Whitmire personally involved in resolution
According to the Institute of Justice, the law demands compensation no matter whether officers acted wrongly, since the harm came from the government performing its duties officially. Trujillo is not seeking money because officers made an error; she wants money because the government wrecked her property while carrying out its official business.
ABC13 received two statements from the city, and both point toward a technical issue as the reason for the denial. Mayor Whitmire’s first statement described the matter as having been handled incorrectly because of a technicality, although that explanation was stripped from a later statement. Trujillo discovered the mayor’s role while being interviewed by ABC13.
It is still unclear whether the situation will resolve itself fairly. At the moment, Trujillo is driving her friend’s car while she pays for one she cannot drive.
Source material: “UH student's car caught in police gunfire at Highland Village, City initially says they won't pay,” ABC13 Houston.
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