A weekend retreat to Barton Creek culminated in fatal violence on Saturday, February 23rd, 2026, claiming the lives of two young individuals and exposing deep-seated community divisions. The victims, identified as 23-year-old Jermaine Jerrington Ingram and 20-year-old Manuela Vanegas, were ambushed by gunfire during their return journey to Unitedville after an afternoon spent swimming.
Initial police reports indicate the attack occurred approximately fifteen minutes into their hike home, near a bridge where an assailant lay in wait. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith confirmed that investigative efforts are focused on canvassing the area for potential witnesses and securing any available video footage to aid the ongoing investigation.
The tragedy has revealed starkly contrasting narratives between the two grieving families. Vanegas’s family portrays her as an entirely innocent bystander with no criminal associations, describing her as a charismatic and kind-hearted individual who was merely visiting relatives in Unitedville. Her brother stated they had only recently begun a romantic relationship spanning roughly three weeks.
Conversely, Ingram’s family acknowledges he was likely the intended target while vehemently denying any gang affiliations or criminal past. His sister revealed disturbing premonitions of violence, alleging Ingram received specific death threats two weeks prior to the shooting. She claims these threats were connected to a previous altercation at a community center, though the family disputes his involvement in the incident.
Most explosively, the family has leveled serious accusations against local law enforcement, alleging that known perpetrators enjoy protection from the San Ignacio Police and that repeated warnings about the threats against Ingram were ignored. This has created a pervasive sentiment of injustice and institutional failure within the community.
As authorities continue investigating the precise motive behind the double homicide, both families grapple with unimaginable loss compounded by unanswered questions and allegations that preventive measures could have averted this tragedy.