Illegal Immigrant Arrested in Capital Murder Case of Texas Cheerleader

A Texas mother was shocked to discover her daughter, 16-year-old cheerleader Lizbeth Medina, had been murdered in her apartment on Tuesday evening. Rafael Govea Romero, an undocumented migrant, is now facing charges of capital murder in the death of the Texas teen following his arrest on Saturday.

The teen was discovered by her mother, Jacqueline Medina, who became concerned after Lizbeth failed to show up for a Christmas parade. During the early stages of the investigation, law enforcement authorities released images of a person of interest near the murder scene. This information led to the arrest of Romero, an undocumented migrant.

According to Chief of Police Rick Boone of the Edna Police Department, the undocumented migrant was arrested by his officers in coordination with the Texas Rangers and officers from other law enforcement agencies. Police apprehended Govea-Romero, some 60 miles from the scene of the murder in Schulenburg, Texas. Police have not released any other details regarding a potential motive for the murder or additional information about Govea-Romero.

Breitbart Texas reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations officials for information on Govea-Romero’s immigration history. An immediate response was not available at press time.

Police believe Govea-Romero is the person of interest captured in images taken near the Cottonwood Apartments, where Lizbeth was found deceased around the time of the murder. The images show a man wearing a “Volcom” hooded jacket and described as potentially having a tattoo behind his right ear. The person was photographed leaving the area in a silver Ford Taurus sedan.

According to Police Chief Boone, Govea-Romero was taken to the Jackson County Jail after his arrest in Schulenburg and is facing a charge of Capital Murder. Information from the Jackson County Jail website has not yet been updated.

In a social media posting on Sunday, Boone thanked officers from more than ten federal, state, and local jurisdictions who assisted in the investigation and capture of Godea-Romero.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.