Southeast
Mom of Texas teen allegedly killed by illegal suspect calls for change after Laken Riley murder
Jacqueline Medina, mother of 16-year-old Texas girl Lizbeth Medina, who was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant in December, is calling for change after the murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley.
Rafael Govea Romero, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, allegedly stabbed Lizbeth to death in the bathtub of the apartment she shared with her mother on Dec. 5, 2023. About three months later, on Feb. 22, Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, allegedly killed Riley with a blow to the head while she was jogging along the University of Georgia campus.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Laken Riley, and my heart goes out to her family during this difficult time,” Jacqueline Medina told Fox News Digital in a statement. “As someone who has also lost a daughter to violence at the hands of an illegal immigrant, I understand the pain and devastation that comes with such a senseless act. It is heartbreaking to see another family go through what mine has endured.”
Jacqueline said she is “moved by the fact that” Riley and Lizbeth both wanted to become nurses. She shared a certificate with Fox News Digital noting Lizbeth’s nomination for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence and said Lizbeth had dreams of studying at the University of Texas at Arlington.
LAKEN RILEY’S MOTHER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ‘AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY’ AFTER DAUGHTER’S FUNERAL
“It is a cruel and unfair reality that their dreams were cut short by senseless violence,” she said. “I believe that there need to be stricter laws in place to protect our children and communities from individuals with violent criminal histories, regardless of their immigration status.”
“I believe that there need to be stricter laws in place.”
She added that “this is not about politics” but “ensuring the safety and well-being of our loved ones.”
“While I acknowledge that not all illegal immigrants are the same, we must take action to prevent tragedies like these from happening again,” she said. “Since my daughter Liz’s passing in 2023, too many beautiful young girls have lost their lives to violence. We must come together as a society to create a safer world for all. Let us look after each other and strive to make our communities places where everyone can feel secure and protected.”
TEXAS CHEERLEADER, 16, FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT BATHTUB BELIEVED MURDERED: ‘I DON’T UNDERSTAND’
Edna police arrested Romero, 24, in Schulenburg, Texas, thanks to cellphone data and other evidence tying him to Lizbeth’s murder.
He is charged with capital murder and has been placed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer after Lizbeth, a cheerleader at Edna High School, was found in the bathtub with “smeared blood on the sides of her and what appeared to be a stab wound to the upper stomach area,” according to a police affidavit previously obtained by Fox News Digital.
“On Dec. 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston lodged an immigration detainer with the Jackson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office on Rafael Govea-Romero, 24, Mexico, following his arrest for capital murder,” ICE told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Jacqueline had left their apartment in Edna early on Dec. 5 for work. Her daughter typically left for school afterward, but that day, she neither made it to school nor a Christmas parade that her cheer team was supposed to be practicing in.
Jacqueline went to the parade, expecting to see her daughter, but when she couldn’t find Lizbeth anywhere, she began reaching out to friends and family for help tracking down the 16-year-old. Later that evening, Jacqueline found her daughter dead in their bathtub.
LAKEN RILEY FUNERAL IN GEORGIA COMMEMORATES NURSING STUDENT ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
The grieving mother, who lived in Nebraska before moving to Texas for work, said neither she nor her daughter knew Romero but noted that their house had been burglarized on Nov. 13, about a month before the teenager’s murder. Edna police officers believe Romero may have been involved in the burglary and may have stalked Lizbeth before allegedly attacking and killing her.
“I believe the burglary from 11/13/2023 could have a connection with the murder suspect,” an Edna officer wrote in the affidavit. “I believed the suspect of this murder was at large and a present danger to the community. I was especially concerned that the person believed to be the murder suspect was texting other high school students, leading me to believe the suspect was targeting students.
TEXAS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INDICTED ON CAPITAL MURDER CHARGE IN CHEERLEADER’S BEATING, STABBING DEATH
“Furthermore, I believe the public was in danger due to the stalking-like behavior displayed by the suspect via the potential connection of the 11/13/2023 burglary and driving through the apartment complex on 12/4/2023.”
Romero’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday. Fox News Digital reached out to his defense attorney for comment.
Pundits and social media personalities have noted similarities between Lizbeth’s and Riley’s murders.
Riley was out for a jog along dirt paths on the University of Georgia campus, near Lake Herrick, when Ibarra, 26, allegedly attacked and killed her.
Riley’s roommate had reported her missing when she did not return from her run on the morning of Feb. 22, and police found her deceased around noon that same day. She died of blunt-force trauma to the head.
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Ibarra, who lived within a five-minute walk of the approximate crime scene, is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another.
Ibarra entered the United States through the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022 and was freed on border parole. He initially lived in New York City before moving to the Georgia college town.
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Southeast
Defiant victims who turned the tables on attackers in 2024
This year several crime victims took it upon themselves to fight back against their attackers, and videos captured the incidents. Here is a recap of some of 2024’s most notable examples.
ROAD RAGE RESPONSE
Back in March, a truck driver was attacked by a colleague on the road. Deputies were called to a Love’s Travel Stop for a report of shots fired during a road rage incident along Interstate 75 near Ocala, Florida, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said.
The victim said he was driving a semi-truck southbound on Interstate 75 when Dylan Belleastin, 43, threw a water bottle at his truck.
FIERY CHAOS AT FLORIDA INTERSECTION HAS SHERIFF’S OFFICE SEARCHING FOR DOZENS OF SUSPECTS
“The victim pulled over to confront Belleastin but decided against it and drove away,” MCSO said on Facebook. “Belleastin then continued to follow the victim and eventually pulled alongside him again, at which time he fired several shots toward the victim.”
Deputies say the victim decelerated in an attempt to avoid being struck before returning fire toward Belleastin “out of fear for his own life.”
Dash camera footage from Belleastin’s semi-truck cab “clearly depicted him shooting at the victim at two separate times,” MCSO said. The suspect was arrested days later, and charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony.
TEEN FOUND GUILTY OF BEATING DISABLED DC MAN REGGIE BROWN TO DEATH SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS
BIKINI BARISTA STRIKES BACK
In June, the owner of a Seattle bikini espresso shop defended her decision to smash a customer’s windshield with a hammer after he threw coffee at her.
The incident at Taste of Heaven Espresso was caught on camera at 3 p.m. June 11 and shared in a now-viral social media video. Emma Lee, 23, told FOX 13 Seattle it was not the first time the customer had been disrespectful, and she wants him held accountable for his actions.
What transpired on video was the culmination of a 15-minute exchange over the price of a 32-ounce coffee and 24-ounce water, Lee said. The price tag was $22.
“You don’t get to name your own price,” Lee told FOX 13, adding the man screamed, spit and tried to pry open the business’ window. “It was a threat. I felt in danger. It’s OK for him to be outraged about the price of his drinks, enough to assault me, but it’s not appropriate for me to respond?”
CARJACKING THWARTED
In October, a D.C. bartender was attacked on video while at a gas station by three teenagers who tried to take off with his Jeep.
The suspect, Randy White, told FOX 5 DC the teens demanded his belongings. He instead fought back until the trio eventually gave up and left the gas station.
“Where I grew up, it’s just… I work too hard for what I have,” White told the local Fox station. “I can’t give up my property like that. It’s not in me. I wasn’t raised that way. I was just hoping that they would see that I am resisting them and they would’ve just given up or went off, but that wasn’t the case. I was able to keep them occupied and fight them off long enough that they ended up cutting their losses and hitting bricks.”
QUICK-THINKING CALLER
Not all who fought back did so physically.
Also in October, a Florida woman who was being held captive prior to an alleged attempted rape called 911 to order a “pizza.”
“I would like to order a pizza,” a 911 call shared by Volusia Sheriff’s Office on social media starts out. “I’m so stuck in here.”
“OK. Are you aware you’re calling 911?” the dispatcher asks the female caller, who responds, “Yes, I’m sure I’m calling to that number.”
Dispatchers were able to “triangulate her phone,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said, explaining that the victim did not know her location. The victim was able to tell the dispatcher she was being held by an unarmed man. Once her location was determined, deputies were sent out.
The victim can be heard screaming for help in shared body camera footage.
“He’s trying to rape me. Can you help me?” she asked.
“Thank you, Lord!” she repeatedly said while crying, after being rescued. “Thank you, Jesus.”
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Southeast
Two Hurricane Helene victims, a family of four and a Vietnam veteran, gifted campers on Christmas Day
Two families in North Carolina who were impacted by Hurricane Helene received the gifts of a lifetime on Christmas Day – a new place to call home.
The first recipient was the Penley family, of Boone, North Carolina, who lost everything during the storm.
The family of four was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday following the birth of their second child and was planning on moving into a homeless shelter until EmergencyRV stepped in.
“We weren’t gonna have that at EmergencyRV. We got this trailer here for them and it’s going to be a great place for them to stay now,” the company said in a video posted on X.
PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS
The RV gifted to the Penleys will comfortably fit their family, which consists of two adults, a toddler and a newborn. It has a bedroom on one side of the camper and two sleeping areas on the other side, along with a nice-sized bathroom and a large kitchen area with seating at a table and a couch.
The second recipient was Timothy McCord, a 70-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Helene tore the roof off of his camper, where he continued to live despite experiencing leaks and other damage.
EmergencyRV traveled to Canton, North Carolina, to gift him a brand-new camper after McCord’s daughter contacted the company explaining that he needed help.
“You helped me turn my life around and I appreciate it,” McCord said when his new home was delivered.
HURRICANE HELENE VICTIM GIFTED A TINY HOME JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS AFTER HELPING STORM-RAVAGED COMMUNITY
EmergencyRV is a non-profit organization that provides housing to displaced survivors of natural disasters and has gifted 77 campers to people impacted by Helene since the storm wreaked havoc in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee at the end of September. The RVs are gifted completely free with a clean title in the recipient’s name.
The organization said it has 700 families on its waiting list who have been fully vetted and are truly in need of help following a natural disaster.
“We take this seriously as we have limited resources,” the organization said on X. “We also ensure that the family has a legal and safe place to park an RV before we will gift it and deliver to them.”
Though they prioritize veterans and first responders, EmergencyRV said they have helped families and singles who lost their home or suffered serious damage in Helene.
EmergencyRV was established by Woody Faircloth and his then 6-year-old daughter in 2018 in response to the deadly Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
Their goal was to raise enough money to bless one family impacted by the fire with a RV. They were able to do that and have since donated hundreds of RVs to victims of wildfires and other natural disasters.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Career criminal, 31, arrested for 35th time — see his list of offenses
A Florida man was arrested for his 35th time right before Christmas, after stealing a car and attempting to escape authorities.
Kevin Campana, 31, was taken into custody on Monday after allegedly breaking into a local auto repair shop in Edgewater, Florida and stealing a customer’s car while wearing no shoes, according to the Edgewater Police Department.
Read the full article from Here
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