In a recent development, Texas law enforcement officials have apprehended a suspect in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina.
The teenager was tragically discovered dead in her apartment on December 5.
The Edna Police Department, in a press release issued on Sunday, announced the arrest of Rafael Govea Romero, an "undocumented male" who they believe is "the person responsible for the death of Lizbeth Medina." The arrest took place in Schulenburg, a town located in Fayette County, Texas.
"Edna Police Department and Texas Rangers immediately traveled to Schulenburg where Romero was placed under arrest for Capital Murder and transported to Jackson County Jail," the department stated in the press release. They further acknowledged the grief of Lizbeth's family and friends, assuring the community that they can now "sleep in peace."
In an interaction with Fox News Digital, Jacqueline Medina, Lizbeth's mother, stated that she did not recognize the suspect. She is currently awaiting further information from the police regarding the case.
The murder of Lizbeth sent shockwaves through the Edna community last week, as authorities launched a manhunt for the teenager's suspected killer. Jacqueline Medina shared with Fox News Digital the harrowing experience of discovering her daughter's lifeless body in the bathtub of their residence at the Cottonwood Apartments.
"I decided to go look for her. And I kept calling her phone nonstop, and it would take me straight to voicemail I called a bunch of people and nobody knew anything. It wasn't until I walked into the restroom that I was on the phone with my friend asking him to come help me look for her is when I [saw] her foot, and it was in the bathtub. And so I opened the curtains. There she was," Medina recounted.
She further revealed that the last anyone heard from Lizbeth was around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday. After that, friends and family assumed her phone must have died. Lizbeth had been absent from school the previous Monday due to illness, so her absence on Tuesday did not raise immediate alarm.
"I don't understand why. My God, why would they do this to her?" Medina lamented. "She's such a beautiful, smart, and amazing girl. There's moments where I just can't take it. And then there's moments where I feel like I need to be strong for her."
The mother-daughter duo was temporarily residing in the apartment complex after relocating from Nebraska to Texas due to Medina's job in the renewable energy sector. Only the two of them had keys to the apartment, Medina confirmed.
Romero's arrest came a day after Edna police released security camera footage of a person of interest in the case.
Medina fondly remembered her daughter as "an amazing, good girl" who was "very mature" and deeply cared for her friends and family. "I just want everybody to know that that was an amazing child," Medina said. "She wasn't a normal teenager getting in trouble for doing crazy stuff. She was very mature for her age. She was a caring and loving person who, as far as I know and from the messages I received, she changed a lot of people's lives. I just want everybody to remember her that way and not the way that she was taken from me."
In their quest for justice, the Medina family has established a GoFundMe campaign titled "Justice for Lizbeth Medina." The funds raised will be used to support their efforts in finding Lizbeth's suspected killer.
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