Rafael Govea Romero, a 23-year-old undocumented migrant, has been accused of the capital murder of Lizabeth Medina, a 16-year-old Texas high school cheerleader. Authorities apprehended him on December 9 in connection to the tragic incident.
In a special interview with Crossroads Today on December 6, Jacqueline Medina, the mother of Lizabeth, recounted the tragic day she found her daughter lifeless. Her worry heightened when Lizabeth didn’t join her cheer squad for a Christmas parade event on December 5.
Concerned that the burglars from a recent break-in might have returned, Jacqueline hurried home to check on her daughter, Lizabeth, who was alone. Tragically, she discovered that Lizabeth had been fatally stabbed in their bathtub.
The sorrowful mother promptly called for emergency help, and responders declared her daughter deceased upon arrival. Following this, Edna Police and Texas Rangers initiated an investigation to identify the perpetrator responsible for the young girl’s death.
As per updates shared by the Edna Police Department on their Facebook page, they received surveillance photos as part of the information. The images depicted a young male with a tattoo who was seen running and later driving a silver Ford Taurus. The authorities identified the individual in question as Rafael Govea Romero, a migrant with an expired visa.
With collaboration from officers representing over 10 jurisdictions, including Fayette County, investigators successfully located Romero at his family’s residence in Schulenberg. On December 9, they arrested him, leveling charges of capital murder in connection to the death of Lizabeth Medina.
Romero was taken into custody and confined to the Jackson County Jail, where a judge established his bail at $2 million. Additionally, ICE has placed a detainer on him.
As of now, there is no indication that Romero had any prior acquaintance or connection with Lizabeth before her tragic death. Police, in fact, have not determined a motive for the crime at this point.
