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Authorities have apprehended and charged 23-year-old Rafael Govea Romero for the fatal stabbing of Lizbeth Medina, a 16-year-old student at Edna High School in the Edna Independent School District (EISD). The incident occurred at an apartment that Medina shared with her mother. According to authorities, Romero is reportedly residing in the U.S. illegally.
Houston National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate KUHF reported that Romero was arrested in Schulenberg on Dec. 9 and subsequently charged with murder. It remains unclear whether Romero has secured legal representation. Since he is listed as undocumented, KUHF reported that he will not be released until the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is notified.
Houston FOX affiliate KRIV News reports that records indicate Romero, originally from Mexico, had a previous criminal history. Following his arrest, he was transported to the Jackson County Jail. Depending on what a local grand jury or the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office determines, KRIV says that Romero could face escalated charges.
According to Houston Daily, Jacqueline Medina, mother of the teenager, informed authorities that she discovered her daughter's body after she failed to join her fellow Edna High School cheerleaders at Edna’s Lighted Christmas Parade earlier this month.