Cornejo's mother speaks Spanish and agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity because of the violent nature of this crime.
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She said she first learned Genesis could be in real trouble from one of her daughter's friends, who said that Genesis was being held against her will. Now, her mother hopes the two alleged MS-13 gang members that police say killed her and left her on Sharpcrest in southwest Houston will rot in jail or receive the death penalty.
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The Cornejo family previously lived in the New York area and just recently moved to the Houston area. ABC13 spoke with a family friend in Long Island, Melissa Tagarelli, who called Cornejo's mother as soon as she heard the news.
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"I knew it was true, but I had to just hear it from her. I just expressed my sympathy," said Tagarelli.
She said when she met Genesis, she was particularly touched by the teen's caring interaction with her younger brother.
"She was just playing with her brother, reading to him, and talking back and forth, it was so sweet to see them like that," Tagarelli added.
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