Texas high school cheerleader Lizbeth Medina was stabbed to death and left in a bathtub by an illegal immigrant living in the US on an expired visa, police said.
Rafael Govea Romero, 23, was arrested Saturday on a charge of first degree murder in the slaying of a 16-year-old Edna High School student last week.
Romero’s bond was set by the magistrate at $2 million.
Police and Texas Rangers acting on a tip went to Romero’s home in the small town of Schulenburg, about 95 miles west of Houston, and took him into custody.
Detectives also seized evidence from Romero’s silver Ford Taurus that they say linked him to Medina’s murder, but they did not say what it was, station KTRK reported.
No motive has been released for the fatal stabbing, and police have not said whether Romero and Medina knew each other.
Lizbeth Medina was found by her mother stabbed to death in her bathtub. ABC 13
Edna Police Chief Rick Boone said Romero had been in the US illegally after overstaying his visa. His family is reported to have lived in Schulenburg for about five years.
Romero was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because of his undocumented status, according to Edna police.
The Post reached out to ICE for comment Monday and was awaiting a response at press time.
Rafael Medina, 23, was arrested Saturday on murder charges in Schulenburg, Texas.
Medina was found dead in her bathtub on Dec. 5 by her mother, Jacqueline Medina, who became alarmed when her daughter failed to show up for Edna’s annual Christmas parade, where she was supposed to march with her cheerleading squad.
“My daughter was found in a way no mother should find their child,” Medina previously told station KAVU. “Someone hurt my child, someone took my child from me.”
The grieving mother said that a few weeks earlier, someone had broken into their home at the Cottonwood Apartments, and she wondered if the same intruder might have attempted another robbery but had been caught in the act by Lizbeth.
Security footage released by police shows a young man who resembles the suspect, Rafael Govea Romero. Edna Texas Police Department/Facebook
Police released surveillance video of the suspect, who was seen wearing a black Volcom sweatshirt and had a distinctive tattoo behind his right ear.
Lizbeth was honored before her school’s football game Thursday night, where her cheerleaders and family members wore purple — the teenager’s favorite color.
“My head is just spinning all over the place, and I just want answers, I want justice,” her distraught mother told KTRK.
Jacqueline Medina (left) said she was worried about her daughter Lizbeth (right) after she failed to attend the Christmas parade. ABC 13
Medina described her daughter as “bubbly” and “happy.”
“We grew up together. I had him when I was only 16 years old,” Medina told the station. “It was just him and me against the world, and they took it from me.”
Edna is located about 100 miles southwest of Houston.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
