Edna police expected to shed light on motive after man arrested in murder of 16-year-old cheerleader
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EDNA, Texas (KTRK) — An update is expected Monday morning about the man charged with the murder of a high school cheerleader in Edna.
Rafael Govea Romero is booked in the Jackson County Jail, charged with capital murder in the death of 16-year-old Edna High School cheerleader Lizbeth Medina.
Edna police did not immediately release Romero’s age, but did say he is an adult. Officials added that he is undocumented.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Man arrested, charged in connection to death of Edna High School cheerleader, police say
Rafael Govea Romero is accused of killing 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina and has since been charged with capital murder after being arrested on Saturday.
Romero was arrested over the weekend in Schulenberg, about an hour northwest of Edna.
Before Romero’s arrest, police released photos of a person of interest in the case. The photos showed a man, believed to be Romero, wearing a black ‘Volcom’ hooded sweatshirt. He was seen driving a silver Ford Taurus, with the model year ranging from 2010-2018.
SEE ALSO: Person of interest photos released in murder of Edna High School cheerleader
The Edna Police Department has released surveillance photos of a person of interest possibly linked to the death of a 16-year-old cheerleader.
So far, authorities haven’t said what led them to charge Romero with killing Lizbeth. More details on the motive are expected in Monday morning’s police update.
Officials have not said if Romero will be granted bond.
ABC13 has been in touch with Lizbeth’s family. They said they don’t recognize Romero at all.
On Dec. 5, Lizbeth’s mother found her daughter dead in their Edna apartment. She said a few weeks prior, their home was broken into. She wondered if that was the motive again, but this time, Lizbeth happened to be home.
Jacqueline Medina claimed she knew something was wrong when her daughter didn’t show up to the town’s Lighted Christmas Parade, where she was supposed to perform with her cheer squad. That’s when she said she rushed home.
The mother made the gruesome discovery and called police to the Cottonwood Apartments. First responders tried to save the teen, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Mother makes gruesome discovery after 16-year-old daughter allegedly murdered in their apartment
Lizbeth Medina, 16, a cheerleader at Edna High School, was found dead by her mother after the teen didn’t show up to a cheer parade.
“She was bubbly, happy, funny. Basically my friend. We grew up together. I had her when I was only 16,” Medina said. “It was just her and I against the world and they took her from me.”
Police haven’t given details as to how exactly Lizbeth died. A GoFundMe was set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
Come back to this post for updates. ABC13 will provide an update as some of the key details in the investigation are made public.
Edna is a small town of nearly 6,000 people in Jackson County, located about 100 miles southwest of Houston.
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