SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy has been charged with voluntary manslaughter for shooting and killing her fiancée in their Tustin apartment last summer after the victim returned from an early morning daily walk with her dog. The two women both worked at the Orange County Jail.
Aimee Alexis Hidalgo, 28, of Tustin, turned herself into Tustin police on Monday after she was charged with one felony count of voluntary manslaughter and one felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm. She faces a maximum sentence of 21 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.
Hidalgo is currently on administrative leave from her job as a Sheriff’s deputy in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department assigned to the Orange County Jail. Hidalgo became an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy in 2021.
Shaw worked at the Orange County Jail in Correctional Health. The couple was planning a destination wedding in Mexico in November 2025.
On August 8, 2025, at approximately 5:10 a.m., exterior Ring footage shows 35-year-old Brittany Shaw leaving the couple’s studio apartment to walk her dog and then returning to the apartment at 5:20 a.m. with the dog.
Seconds after Shaw returned to the apartment, Hidalgo is accused of shooting her fiancée nine times. Shaw was shot in the torso, right arm, and in the head, a shot which according to the coroner’s report was at “close intermediate range” discharged less than eight inches from the victims’ head.
Hidalgo called 911 and gave Shaw CPR in an effort to resuscitate Shaw, but those efforts were unsuccessful, and Shaw was pronounced dead.
“Human life is our most precious gift, and to lose the gift of life in your own home at the hands of someone you were engaged to is an indescribable tragedy,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Lady Justice is blindfolded for a reason, to ensure justice is carried out without bias or prejudice, regardless of who is the accused. The badge is not a shield from prosecution; rather it is a symbol of the oath a sworn officer takes to uphold the law, on and off duty. When that oath is broken, the law applies equally to those with and without a badge and our duty to pursue justice for Brittany and all of those who loved her will be pursued in a court of law.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Anna McIntire of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
The shooting of Brittany Shaw on August 8, 2025, allegedly occurred when her fiancée, off-duty Orange County Sheriff’s deputy Aimee Alexis Hidalgo, mistook her for an intruder, according to ABC News.
Aimee Alexis Hidalgo’s defense primarily centers on a claim of mistaken identity, but legal experts and prosecutors suggest she faces significant hurdles due to the physical evidence.
Aimee Alexis Hidalgo’s Possible Defense Strategy
As of March 10, 2026, the key components and challenges of her defense include:
1. The “Mistaken Intruder” Theory
Hidalgo’s defense is expected to argue that she was “afraid of an intruder” and honestly, though mistakenly, believed an unauthorized person was entering the apartment at 5:20 a.m. [1.1.1]. This line of defense aims to reduce the charge from murder to voluntary manslaughter by claiming “imperfect self-defense”—an honest but unreasonable belief in the need to use deadly force [1.3.1].
2. Immediate Remorse and Life-Saving Efforts
A critical part of her defense likely involves her actions immediately following the shooting. According to the Orange County District Attorney, Hidalgo:
- Called 911 immediately.
- Performed CPR on Shaw until paramedics arrived [1.1.2].
- Had no history of domestic violence reported prior to the incident [1.5.3].
3. Major Challenges to the Defense
Prosecutors are highlighting evidence that complicates the “accidental” or “mistaken” narrative:
- Volume of Shots: Hidalgo fired nine times, which prosecutors may use to argue her actions were beyond a simple panicked reaction [1.1.4].
- Extremely Close Range: The coroner’s report indicates the fatal head wound was delivered from less than eight inches away, suggesting a level of proximity where a target might be more easily identified [1.1.6].
- Familiarity: Shaw was only gone for 10 minutes to walk their dog, a routine activity.