TEXAS CITY, Texas - Two people have been arrested following an investigation into the suicide of a Texas City teenager.
Andres Arturo Villagomez, 21, and Karinthya Sanchez Romero, 22, have been arrested and charged. Villagomez is charged with unlawful disclosure or promotion of intimate visual material and Romero has been charged with stalking and online impersonation.
Police say that 18-year-old Brandy Vela committed suicide in November 2016 after "enduring several months of relentless cyberbullying, stalking and harassment,".
According to Texas City Police, Villagomez was Brandy's ex-boyfriend and Romero is his current girlfriend.
One day after Brandy took her life, her father demanded justice. “I want to see these people get locked up,” said Raul Vela. “I hope they get what they deserve because I didn’t deserve this.”
Brandy was a Texas City High School Senior who her father claims cried out for help from the bullies who were tormenting her on social media. According to Vela, the harassment began when someone began using her picture online.
“And continually posting nasty things about her,” added Vela. “Set up an account saying she was actually soliciting sex.”
In November, Brandy sent out an email to her family members telling them she was going to kill herself. They rushed home and found her alive.
“And we tried to persuade her to put the gun down but she was determined. She said she’d come too far to turn back. It was very unfortunate that I had to see that. It’s hard when your daughter tells you to turn around. You feel helpless,” said Vela.
Brandy shot herself in front of her family moments later.