Murder Suspect Was on Probation For Home Burglary

Romero was Charged with Stealing from Schulenburg Home in September 2022

The suspect accused of murdering an Edna teen and arrested in Schulenburg last Saturday was on probation for a home burglary that occurred here in 2022.

Rafael Govea Romero, 23 of Schulenburg, faces a capital murder charge for allegedly killing 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina, a high school cheerleader from Edna. Medina’s mother found the teen dead in a bathtub inside their apartment on Dec. 5.

Texas Rangers and officers with the Edna Police Department arrested Romero at a residence near Schulenburg on Saturday night, Dec. 9. ABC 13 News of Houston reported that Romero is an undocumented migrant with an expired visa.

Edna Police revealed this week that Medina was stabbed to death. Romero remains behind bars at the Jackson County Jail with bond set at $2 million. Edna Police said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also placed a detainer on his release.

Romero has lived in Schulenburg for some time, and he was known to local law enforcement. Schulenburg Police arrested him on Oct. 6, 2022, for burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony. According to the indictment, he was accused of stealing an air compressor and several other items from a residence in Schulenburg on or around Sept. 6, 2022.

Romero pled no contest to the burglary charge on April 5 of this year. The court sentenced him to five years of deferred adjudication and placed him on probation.

The terms of his probation stated that he was not to leave Fayette County without permission except for work. He was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine in addition to court costs.