A North Carolina woman has been arrested in connection with a brazen March shooting in which authorities say she lured her ex-husband outside his Dallas home with a fake pizza delivery before opening fire and striking him 18 times. Miraculously, the victim survived.
Marquita Marie Rice, 31, was arrested May 26 in Wake County, North Carolina, and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — family violence. She is being held on $1 million bond and is fighting extradition to Texas, according to Dallas police and court records.
Dallas police linked Rice to the March 1 incident in the 1800 block of Sedona Lane in the Redbird area of southwest Dallas. Surveillance video captured the suspect, dressed in all black, hiding behind a wall near the garage and waiting for the victim to respond to the unsolicited pizza delivery.
Once the victim opened the door, the shooter opened fire, striking him multiple times. The suspect fled but returned to fire additional shots before leaving the scene, police said. The victim was hit a total of 18 times yet managed to survive the attack.
Detectives identified Rice through distinctive taillights on the vehicle she used that night — a rented Chevy Trax. The car had been driven extensively, including trips from Georgia to Dallas and back, authorities said.
“The taillights make a big difference for my case,” Det. Michael Bui told FOX 4. “I tracked down the car, and from that moment, the car revealed that it was rented out to Miss Rice, who is the ex-spouse of the victim.”
Bui described the case as unusual, noting it was the first time he had seen an ex-spouse allegedly carry out a shooting using such a tactic. Rice allegedly put significant mileage on the rental car before and after the incident, traveling through multiple states.
The pizza was not ordered by the victim, leading investigators to conclude the shooting was premeditated. Police released surveillance video from the scene as part of their Trackdown investigation, which helped generate tips that contributed to the arrest with assistance from U.S. Marshals.
Rice remains in custody at the Wake County Detention Center. Dallas authorities are working to bring her back to Texas to face charges.
The case highlights the growing concern over domestic violence and the use of deceptive tactics in targeted attacks. While the victim’s survival is remarkable given the volume of gunfire, authorities continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt on his life.
