Trump win moves slain cheerleader's mom to tears as illegal immigrant faces murder trial
EXCLUSIVE — The mother of a 16-year-old Texas girl who was brutally murdered, allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Mexico, in her own home last December says Trump's victory last week made her tear up.
"When I heard the news in the morning that he won, I teared up," Jacqueline Medina told Fox News Digital. "I teared up because I thought about my daughter. The Biden-Harris administration failed us terribly."
Medina's "beautiful, loving, bubbly, funny" 16-year-old daughter, Lizbeth Medina, was murdered on Dec. 5, 2023. Rafael Govea Romero, the 24-year-old man charged with capital murder in connection with the attack, is scheduled to face trial next month.
"With [Trump] winning, I'm really hoping that there are stricter laws so we can protect our kids, our children, our families, our loved ones from this happening to them again," Medina said.
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Medina said she knows stricter policies won't bring back her daughter, but she is hoping they will "prevent this from happening to another child."
Medina had left their apartment for work early on Dec. 5, 2023. Her daughter typically left for school shortly afterward, but that day she did not make it to school or the Christmas parade that her cheer team was supposed to be practicing for.
When Medina showed up to the Christmas parade and did not see her daughter, she knew something was wrong and frantically contacted friends and family for help finding the 16-year-old girl.
Medina returned home that evening after no one had heard from or seen Lizbeth and found her dead with an apparent stab wound in the bathtub of their Edna apartment.
Edna police arrested Romero in Schulenburg, Texas, five days after Lizbeth's death, according to authorities.
Romero had a criminal history in Texas and was on probation at the time of his arrest in connection to Lizbeth's murder, Edna Police Chief Rick Boone previously told Fox News Digital.
The murder suspect was reportedly on probation for a 2022 burglary in Schulenburg, about 60 miles from Edna, the Fayette County Record first reported. Edna police said Romero may also be tied to a burglary that occurred at Lizbeth's home about a month before her killing.
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Neither Medina nor Lizbeth knew Romero, but Medina 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.
"My whole life was my daughter," Medina said. "And I'm still finding it very difficult to find myself, to find what direction I need to take in life. The only thing right now that is keeping me strong is the fact that we still need to get justice for her. Also, we're trying to keep busy to gather funds … for her scholarship fund that we brought up for the cheerleaders in Edna. And we donate to specific child advocacy funds in her name."
Medina said she wants her daughter to be remembered for the kind and accomplished young woman she was rather than for her tragic death.
"But at the same time, I do want everybody to hear her story so they can understand why things need to change," Medina said. "That's the only way people will know why we want things changed."
Romero's trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 3 in Jackson County, Texas.
A trial for Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant suspect in the February murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley, begins this week. Medina said she will watch Ibarra's trial and keep Riley's family in her thoughts.