Influencer 'caught by stray bullet' dies in front of her child in road rage incident

An influencer was tragically was gunned down in front of her toddler and partner after being caught in a road rage shootout.

Yarely Ashley Hermosillo, a social media star who had more than 144,000 followers on Instagram, was hit by a stray bullet while sitting beside her four-year-old son during the chaos in Glendale, Arizona on Friday. Police say the violence erupted in a clash between two drivers at a red light, during which Jesus Preciado Dousten, 33, allegedly opened fire.

He has since been arrested on multiple charges, including second-degree murder, AZFamily reports. According to police, Dousten pulled out a handgun and fired toward another driver.

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The round pierced Hermosillo's vehicle through the passenger window, striking her in the head as her partner drove up alongside the truck - completely unaware of the danger. The mum was rushed to hospital but sadly could not be saved.

"My question still is, why would you just randomly shoot the other way? He obviously didn't know the other car was there," Glendale Police Sergeant Brian Hoskins told the outlet.

"That’s the thing, as gun owners, you have to know where you're shooting, what you're pointing at. You know, those are the responsibilities of being a responsible gun owner. You can't just fire rounds randomly throughout. Specifically, a high, highly populated city."

Dousten was identified as the pickup's owner and later arrested after police found two handguns in his apartment.

Hermosillo, who also shared content on Facebook and TikTok, had built an audience of more than 300,000 with her cooking and lifestyle videos.

Her devastated family has launched a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs, remembering her as "a loving wife, a devoted mother, and a beautiful soul whose light touched everyone who knew her."

The tribute added: "She leaves behind her husband and their 4-year-old son, who now face an unimaginable loss. Yarely's greatest joy in life was being a mother, and she poured her heart into caring for her little boy. She was an innocent victim caught in the middle of a road rage incident between others, leaving her family and friends devastated."