Teen Accused of Shooting 16-Year-Old Ex-Girlfriend 22 Times Was Packing When Cops Arrived
Texas prosecutors said police found a teenager who is charged with fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend packing his bags in an attempt to run away when officers arrested him.
Frank Deleon Jr., 17, was arrested and charged in connection to the shooting death of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend Diamond Alvarez on Monday. The Associated Press reported that Deleon was "attempting to pack his bags to flee" when police went to arrest him, according to court records.
On January 11, Alvarez was taking her family's dog, Peanut, on their typical evening walk at a nearby field, the AP reported.
However, her family became concerned after hearing gunshots in the area knowing Alvarez was outside. Their concerns grew even more after Peanut returned home without her, People reported.
Alvarez's mother, Anna Machado, called her daughter's phone, but she didn't pick up. Alvarez's family left their home to search for her at around 9:30 p.m., according to People.
Other witnesses reported seeing a dark vehicle fleeing the scene after hearing multiple gunshots, according to police. The AP said when police responded to the call, they found Alvarez shot 22 times in the field near her home, according to court records.
Machado said her son was the one who first found Alvarez. "I tried so hard to keep her alive. I couldn't…I couldn't," she told KHOU-TV. Machado said she performed CPR on her daughter but that she died at the scene.
Right before the incident, Machado said Deleon texted her daughter and asked her to meet him at the field, the AP reported.
Investigators discovered that Deleon had started to date someone else while he was still in a relationship with Alvarez. After Alvarez learned about the other relationship, she met with Deleon at the park, which is when Deleon allegedly shot her several times, according to a Houston Police Department statement on Twitter.
Machado told the AP the pair were "off and on" and her daughter would frequently cry over him, but she never noticed any red flags that would indicate her daughter was in danger.
Deleon is being held in the Harris County Jail, and prosecutors have requested that he be held on a $250,000 bond, according to court documents.
However, Machado told the AP she hopes the judge holds him without a bond.
"He doesn't even deserve a high bond. He executed my daughter," Machado said.
Alvarez's family described her as a "fun, outgoing, outspoken, down to earth girl" who loved to dance and planned on attending cosmetology school, they said on a GoFundMe page set up for funeral donations.
Her family said she was an honor student with friends who adored her and "always managed to live life to the fullest," according to the page.
Alvarez's funeral is planned for 11 a.m. on Friday in Houston with a public viewing on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to KTRK-TV.
