A Houston teenager was arrested and charged with murder Monday for allegedly shooting his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend 22 times while she was out walking her dog, according to police.
Frank Deleon Jr., 17, allegedly shot his girlfriend Diamond Alvarez, 16, 22 times at a park near her home, according to KPCR. According to Alvarez’s mother, Deleon texted her daughter and asked her to meet him at the public park the evening of January 11th, the outlet reported. She brought her dog, Peanut, along with her, the outlet reported. (REATED: Triple Murder: Teen Pleads Guilty To Shooting Girl, Her Parents After Being Caught In Her Bedroom)
The two teenagers had been in an off and on again relationship for less than a year, but at the time of her murder the two were supposedly not dating, ABC News reported . Police shared in a statement on Twitter that Alvarez had recently discovered that Deleon was in a relationship with her, and another girl.
Booking photo of Frank Deleon, Jr., charged with murder in the 174th State District Court. pic.twitter.com/BX7g41qyHO
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 18, 2022
Alvarez’s mother and step-father informed authorities they heard the shooting from their home, and immediately became concerned so they attempted to get in contact with their daughter, reported KPRC. She wasn’t answering her cell phone, so the two went searching for her, the outlet reported. Peanut was found, alone, outside their home, and shortly after searching the neighborhood they found Alvarez lying in the park, KPRC reported. (RELATED: 18-Year-Old Charged With Second-Degree Murder After 2 Teens Fatally Shot Over Social Media Argument)
“I tried CPR,” said Anna Machado, Alvarez’s mother. “I couldn’t bring her back. I tried so hard to keep her alive.”
Working closely with the community to locate witnesses, authorities were able to narrow down their investigation and arrest Deleon, said the Houston Police Department. He allegedly attempted to evade authorities at the time of his arrest, KPRC reported. As of Wednesday, Deleon is free on a $250,000 bond, according to the outlet.
Alvarez was a Sophomore and honor student at Madison High School in Houston, according to KPRC.