Venezuelan authorities say a well-known soap-opera actress and former Miss Venezuela and her husband were shot and killed resisting a robbery after their car broke down. Monica Spear, 29, and Henry Thomas Berry, 49, were slain last night near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela’s main port. Their 5-year-old daughter was in stable condition after getting medical attention for unspecified injuries.
The family lived in the United States and was on vacation. Local news reports said they were awaiting a tow truck. Spear was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2004 and acted in numerous soap operas for the US-based Telemundo network.
The family was headed to the city of Valencia in a grey 2002 Corolla Toyota when they tragically got into a car accident. However, when they pulled over, two unindentified men attacked and shot them.
Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world. In 2013 there were 24,000 homicides in the nation.