After a YouTube video went terribly wrong and ended in her boyfriend's death, a 19-year-old vlogger was charged with manslaughter. Monalisa Perez fatally shot 22-year-old Pedro Ruiz on camera while he held a book in front of his chest, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Star Tribune.
The Minnesota teen was charged with second-degree manslaughter on Wednesday and was scheduled to appear in court that afternoon. Perez told the police it was Ruiz's idea to film her shooting a hardcover encyclopedia in front of him, according to the complaint. She also reportedly told the police he had shown her another book he shot that stopped the bullet from going all the way through the pages.
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The couple's YouTube channel is full of videos of various pranks and challenges, from the "hottest pepper prank" to the "baby powder donut prank."
According to the criminal complaint, she shot Perez Monday night from about a foot away while cameras placed on the back of a car and a ladder were filming. BuzzFeed News reports that Ruiz died at the scene after the authorities arrived, with one gunshot wound to his chest.
The police have not released the videos to the public.
Perez tweeted about the planned video stunt on Monday, writing: "Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever. HIS idea not MINE."
The 19-year-old's Twitter account says she's a vlogger and stay-at-home mom. The couple had been together for six years, according to The Star Tribune, and Perez is currently pregnant with their second child.
Ruiz's aunt, Claudia Ruiz, told WDAY-TV: "They were in love. It was just a prank gone wrong. It shouldn't have happened like this. It shouldn't have happened at all."
She said she believed they wanted to film to prank to gain more viewers on their YouTube channel, adding, "I wish he would've just done another prank."
If convicted of manslaughter, Perez could face up to 10 years in prison.
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