Man accused of killing 16-year-old Edna cheerleader showed 'stalking-like behavior,' affidavit says
JACKSON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man charged with capital murder in the death of a 16-year-old cheerleader in Jackson County, Texas, had been stalking her up until the night before she was killed, according to an affidavit.
ABC News obtained the affidavit with the assistance of the local newspaper, the Victoria Advocate.
According to the document, the suspect, Rafael Govea Romero, 23, reportedly exhibited "stalking-like behavior" before allegedly stabbing Lizbeth Medina.
The document revealed that on the night of Dec. 4, one day before Lizbeth was found unresponsive, a surveillance camera reportedly caught a man driving through the Cottonwood Apartments complex's parking lot in a silver car around 10 p.m.
A month before the murder, on Nov. 13, there was a burglary at the same apartment, to which officials said they believed Romero was connected.
RELATED:Person of interest photos released in murder of Edna High School cheerleader
Before Romero's arrest, the Edna Police Department released surveillance images of an unidentified man in a silver Ford Taurus wearing a black hooded sweatshirt fleeing the area.
Officers responded to the complex around 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 after Lizbeth's mother, Jacquline, found the teen inside a bathtub, bloodied and "soaking wet," according to officials.
Lizbeth's mother said the teen did not attend a town event with her cheer squad just hours before and had been absent from school.
According to the affidavit, the teen was stabbed in her upper stomach area and seemed to have been washed shortly after. A preliminary autopsy on Dec. 8 said the teen's cause of death was "sharp force injuries."
During an investigation, officials said they could not locate Lizbeth's phone. The next day, on Dec. 6, the victim's cousin told police that someone opened a Snapchat message he had sent to Lizbeth. From there, it was believed by officials that Romero had stolen Lizbeth's phone on the day of the murder.
On Dec. 9, Saturday, at 6 p.m., Lizbeth's boyfriend and friend told police that they both received a reply from their dead loved one's phone after sending a message.
That Saturday, on the same day as family and friends were holding a candlelight vigil for the teen, officials requested an emergency order to locate the victim's phone.
RELATED: Motive still unclear after 23-year-old man arrested in murder of Edna High School cheerleader
The device pinged an hour from Edna, in Schulenberg, Texas, where officials discovered a silver Ford Taurus, seen in earlier released surveillance images, at the residence.
Officials identified Romero as the suspect inside the home and took him into custody. Police discovered that he had some items belonging to the victim and her mother. After an interview with police, the affidavit stated Romero made a full confession.
New information later revealed Romero was undocumented with an expired visa. He was booked into the Jackson County Jail and charged with capital murder, officials said.
Romero was since granted a $2 million bond.
