CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - On March 31, 1995, the world was forever changed when Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the beloved Queen of Tejano music, was tragically killed at the age of 23.Shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of
Selena in the press room at the 1994 Grammy Awards in New York City, New York CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - On March 31, 1995, the world was forever changed when Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the beloved Queen of Tejano music, was tragically killed at the age of 23.
Shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of Selena’s fan club and former manager of her boutiques, the loss sent shockwaves through the music world and left an indelible void in the hearts of millions. Selena’s groundbreaking fusion of Tejano, pop, and cumbia music had not only won her a loyal following but also helped define a new era of Latinx representation in mainstream American music. Though her life was tragically cut short, her legacy lives on, immortalized through her chart-topping hits, her trailblazing impact on Latin culture, and her enduring influence on artists who continue to honor her memory.Born in 1971, Quintanilla-Pérez demonstrated an incredible vocal gift in childhood, fronting Selena y Los Dinos with her siblings A.B. and Suzette Quintanilla. Her superstardom arrived in the early 1990s, with her unique blend of Tejano, pop, cumbia and other musical styles manifesting in huge hits like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Como la Flor,” “Amor Prohibido,” “No Me Queda Mas” and “Tu Solo Tu.”Known the world over as The Queen of Tejano, or even more simply just as Selena, she broke barriers for women in Latin music. She opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences. She often sang in Spanish and spoke in English, reflecting a cross-cultural identity that resonated with listeners. She won her first Grammy in 1994 for best Mexican/Mexican-American album for “Live,” becoming the first female Tejano artist to win the category. She was just 23 when she was killed the following year. But her legacy endures for Mexican Americans, Mexicans, Texans, Latinos and beyond. Her posthumous English-language crossover album released a few months after her death, “Dreaming of You,” topped the Billboard 200, featuring hits like “I Could Fall in Love” and “Dreaming of You." In 1997, a biographical film about her life, “Selena," would quickly become a classic, further launching the career of lead Jennifer Lopez. In 2017, she received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the time, according to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, the crowd was the largest-ever for a Walk of Fame ceremony, breaking a 1998 record set by onlookers at the unveiling of the star for Mexican singer Vicente Fernández.On March 31, 1995, Selena went to Saldívar's room at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, to pick up business records she needed for a tax filing, according to court testimony. A confrontation followed. Selena was shot in the back with a .38-caliber revolver in the motel room, ran outside and collapsed in the lobby. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead about an hour later.“I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to kill anybody,” a sobbing Saldívar said during a 9-hour standoff with police, during which she held a gun to her head. She told police she had bought the .38-caliber revolver to kill herself. More than 50,000 people lined up to view Selena’s body the day before she was laid to rest in Seaside Memorial Park on April 3, 1995, just 13 days before her 24th birthday.The trial was moved to Houston because of heavy publicity. Prosecutors contended that Saldívar shot the 23-year-old after the singer’s family suspected her of embezzling $30,000. The defense argued the gun went off accidentally.On October 23, 1995, the jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years — beginning in 2025. Saldívar did not face the death penalty because the crime contained none of the aggravating circumstances required under Texas law, such as a multiple murder or a murder committed during a robbery. In 1999, the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin turned down Saldívar’s first plea for a new trial. In 2000, her lawyer Bill Berchelmann asked the state to revisit the trial. He argued that prosecutors wrongly dismissed potential jurors because of race, did not disclose the criminal record of a witness and made improper comments in court. He said police also violated Saldívar's rights by interrogating her after she asked for an attorney. In 2009, Saldívar lost an appeal because it was filed in the wrong county. She had asked the court to order an appeal filed nine years earlier in Nueces County to move forward, but the state’s highest criminal appeals court said it should have been filed in Harris County, where she was tried and convicted.On March 27, Saldívar was denied parole and will continue serving a life sentence, the state’s parole board announced Thursday. Saldívar, who is serving her sentence in a Gatesville prison, will be eligible to be reviewed again for parole in 2030.BULVERDE, Texas - Hill College Prep High School has been put on lockdown.Principal Julie Wiley said in the alert that local law enforcement is on campus. The building is also secure and the threat is contained.Check baCity of San Antonio moves Cesar Chavez holiday to April 3 SAN ANTONIO - The City of San Antonio recently announced it will not observe the Cesar Chavez Day on its scheduled date this year, shifting the holiday to later in the week.City officials said the holiday, typically obse1 dead, 2 critical after South Side shooting; victims crash into building SAN ANTONIO — Authorities are responding to a reported shooting on the South Side.First responders were called around 9:30 p.m. to the 1700 block of Southeast M
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