Taria Wilhite-Moore busted for Pueblo murder after SWAT team standoff

Thus far, we don’t know why 21-year-old Taria Wilhite-Moore sports prominent facial wounds in her booking photo or how these injuries may or may not tie-in to the first-degree murder charge on which she was busted.

But there are at least two undisputed facts about the case: Eddie Johnson, 25, is dead, and it took a SWAT team to bring Wilhite-Moore into custody.

Photos and details below.

At just before 2 a.m. on Tuesday, according to KRDO-TV, neighbors were awakened by the sound of a shooting on the 2100 block of Cedar Street in Pueblo.

Police rushed to the scene, and upon their arrival, they discovered Johnson dead in the front yard.

Activity at the house late at night was far from uncommon, and neighbors suspected that something hinky was going on there. But violence on this scale was unprecedented.

As the investigation at the scene continued, cops received a tip about a suspect at another location: the 2100 block of Vineland Lane, about ten minutes away.

They rolled out in force, with a SWAT team and heavy equipment deployed, as can be seen in this KRDO screen capture:

The resulting standoff wasn’t a marathon, perhaps because of the eight people inside the home, four were children.

There were no reported shots fired or fisticuffs when rounding up this octet. As such, it’s not clear where Wilhite-Moore received her wounds or whether they’ll factor in to a possible claim of self-defense. But as we know, photos speak volumes.

Wilhite-Moore remains in custody on a $1.5 million bond. Here’s a larger look at her booking photo.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

More from our Follow That Story archive circa September 2013: “Kelsie Jean Schelling: Seven months since pregnant woman due next week vanished.”