Selena Y Los Dinos: How Yolanda Saldívar Was Caught and Where She Is Now
On March 31, 1995, Tejano icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was gunned down at a Corpus Christi motel — and the shooter was the woman who ran her fan club and boutiques. Yolanda Saldívar was arrested and later convicted of the murder.
Netflix is about to revisit the life of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, which means the same question is back in the mix: what actually happened with Yolanda Saldívar? Short version: yes, Saldívar was arrested, convicted, and is serving a life sentence for killing Selena. Here’s the longer version, and what the new doc is actually focusing on.
First, the hard facts
On March 31, 1995, Selena — already a Tejano superstar — was shot at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, by Yolanda Saldívar. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Saldívar wasn’t some random stranger; she ran Selena’s fan club and managed her boutiques. The relationship had soured over missing money and broken trust. After the shooting, Saldívar locked herself in a truck in the motel parking lot and threatened to kill herself. She was arrested, later found guilty of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Her parole was recently denied.
How it spiraled
Saldívar started as a superfan who worked her way into the inner circle. Over time, Selena’s family found big financial discrepancies tied to the fan club and the retail side. They confronted Saldívar. Friends, family, and employees warned Selena to cut ties; she didn’t. And people who worked with Saldívar said the red flags were not subtle.
She’d get, like, very angry if you crossed her. She would play so many mind games, say people had said things they hadn’t said. So many things would happen to the clothing I was working on. I knew that I had finished a certain piece, but I would come back from a trip to New York and the hems would be ripped out. It was very strange.
Saldívar has long claimed the shooting was an accident and that she’s innocent. The evidence — and the jury — did not agree.
What went down that day
- Morning of March 31, 1995: Selena met Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi to collect financial records Saldívar had been withholding. Saldívar told Selena she had been raped the night before.
- During the meeting: Saldívar shot Selena with a .38-caliber revolver Saldívar had bought just days earlier.
- After the shot: Selena ran to the lobby, calling for help, then collapsed.
- 1:05 p.m.: Selena was pronounced dead from hypovolemic shock.
- Meanwhile: Saldívar barricaded herself in a vehicle outside and threatened to shoot herself before she was taken into custody.
- After the arrest: She was convicted of first-degree murder and got life in prison with parole eligibility at the 30-year mark. Her recent parole review ended in a denial.
About the Netflix doc
Netflix’s documentary, titled 'Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy,' is not a true-crime deep dive. It tracks Selena’s rise with her family band, folds in rare archival material, and features interviews with family and people who were close to her. The murder is part of the story because it has to be, but the emphasis is on her music, culture, and the family machine that helped her get there.
Release date
'Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy' premieres on Netflix on November 17.