Woman Blames YouTube Stunt For Boyfriend's Death: Complaint

HALSTAD, MN — A Minnesota woman charged in the fatal shooting of her boyfriend told authorities it was a video stunt gone wrong. Monalisa Perez, of Halstad, was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Pedro Ruiz III.

According to a criminal complaint, the 19-year-old Perez told authorities Ruiz wanted to make a YouTube video of her shooting a bullet into a book he was holding against his chest. She says she fired from about a foot (0.3 meters) away.

Authorities say Ruiz died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The victim's aunt, Claudia Ruiz, tells WDAY-TV that the couple played pranks and put them on YouTube.

Perez was granted a public defender and released on $7,000 bail. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Photo credit: This photo released by the Northwest Regional Corrections Center shows Monalisa Perez. (Northwest Regional Corrections Center via AP)