(LibertyInsider.org) – An undocumented migrant is facing accusations of killing a teenage Texas student. Authorities reportedly apprehended 23-year-old Rafael Govea Romero on December 9 and charged him with capital murder in relation to the death of high school cheerleader Lizabeth Medina. She was just 16 years old at the time.
In an exclusive interview with Crossroads Today on December 6th, Lizabeth’s mother, Jacqueline Medina, shared the heartbreaking story of the day she discovered her daughter deceased. She grew concerned after Lizabeth failed to turn up at a Christmas parade event alongside her cheer squad on December 5.
Jacqueline feared that the same people who broke into their apartment only weeks before might have returned while her daughter was home alone. She rushed home to check on Lizabeth only to discover that someone had stabbed her to death in their bathtub.
The grieving mother immediately reached out to emergency responders for assistance, who pronounced her daughter dead at the scene. Edna Police and Texas Rangers immediately launched an investigation into who killed the young girl.
“My daughter was found in a way that no mother should ever find their child,” Jacqueline Medina said. “…someone took my child from me.”
According to statements from the Edna Police Department on Facebook, authorities received information in the way of surveillance photos. The footage showed a young male with a tattoo running toward and eventually driving a silver Ford Taurus. Authorities identified the suspect as Rafael Govea Romero, a migrant with an expired visa.
Investigators eventually tracked Romero to his family’s home in Schulenberg with the help of officers from at least 10 jurisdictions, including Fayette County. They arrested the man and charged him with capital murder in the death of Lizabeth Medina on December 9.
Romero was remanded to the Jackson County Jail, where a judge set his bail at $2 million. ICE has also reportedly placed a detainer on the young man.
There is no evidence so far that Romero knew Lizabeth or had any connection to her prior to her death. In fact, police have yet to identify a motive for the crime.
This heartbreaking case is reigniting ongoing debate over the border crisis. Critics highlight Romero’s expired visa and status as an undocumented migrant living in the US as evidence of a need for stronger border security and more proactive immigration enforcement. Would Lizabeth Medina still be alive if these elements were already in place?
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