SAN ANTONIO — The woman who authorities say was shot in the face during an attempted carjacking at the Alamo Quarry Market Tuesday night has opened up about her condition and ongoing journey of recovery.
Alana Castaneda, 27, posted to Facebook about her latest condition and how the shooting has impacted her overall. She describes undergoing a seven-hour surgery where doctors installed two plates in her face, one of which is supporting her eyeball since she says it was collapsing due to fractures.
She noted the lifesaving surgery also involved blood transfusions and facial throat reconstruction.
San Antonio Police responded to the Alamo Quarry Market just before 9 p.m. Tuesday, where officials said Castaneda had been shot in the face, the bullet exiting her cheek.
Castaneda told police she refused to give up her vehicle when demanded to do so by the suspect, 18-year-old Julio Caesar Rivera. Rivera responded by shooting Castaneda then running away, but police were able to arrest him within the Quarry complex.
Rivera was charged with aggravated robbery in the aftermath of the incident. On Thursday, police announced additional charges against Rivera stemming from an Oct. 19 incident in which he allegedly robbed a woman and her 5-year-old daughter at gunpoint.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for Castaneda’s medical bills. The goal is to raise $20,000.
Castaneda has expressed strength in her social media post, saying, “My ear canal was injured so I cannot hear well. I have nerve damage and can’t smile. But I’m alive and that’s what keeps me smiling in the inside.”