Domestic violence happens way more often than any of us can imagine. According to statistics, 1 in 4 women are likely to experience abuse by their intimate partner during their lifetime, and this is a devastating fact. Men are also victims of domestic violence.
The sad reality is that the abuse which takes place behind closed doors can easily escalate and result in killing.
Ashley M. Garcia was a mother of one, with her second baby on the way, when she suffered from the hands of her partner, 23-year-old Alexis Armando Rojas-Mendez. Neighbors saw the couple arguing at the parking lot and witnessed Rojas-Mendez forcefully pushing Ashley and her son into his Jeep on September 18. The following day, the mom was found dead in her apartment in block 5500 of De Soto Street, Houston.
Ashley Garcia was 27 YO, and family says she was 7 weeks pregnant when she was killed. Police said her 8 YO son found her dead.
Her boyfriend, Alexis Armando Rojas-Mendez, is charged with murder and on the run. Call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 with info. https://t.co/JlknF8OPQx pic.twitter.com/QjzpyEBlTu
— Pooja Lodhia (@PoojaOnTV) September 24, 2020
Her son had no idea his mother was killed and went to her bedroom to sleep next to her. After Rojas-Mendez couldn’t stop the 8-year-old from going to his mom, he asked him not to wake her up, saying she was sound asleep. The poor boy listened to the killer and just slept in his dead mother’s arms. The following morning, he tried waking her up, but she didn’t respond. The scared boy alerted the neighbors who called the police.
Ashley was severely bitten and suffered brain trauma after Rojas-Mendez hit her on the head with his steel-toe work boots, according to People. The boy witnessed the horrific incident.
💔 RIP, Ashley Garcia 💔 | This young mother was pregnant when police said her 23-year-old boyfriend, Alexis Armando Rojas-Mendez, beat her to death with steel-toe boots in front of her 8-year-old son.
STORY: https://t.co/YgHpoFH3y3 pic.twitter.com/lnXKBR7qPY
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) September 25, 2020
The family organized an intimate funeral and one of Ashley’s sisters said, “I have so many mixed emotions. I am sad, I am angry, I just want justice for her, that’s all I want, I want her to be at peace,” according to 2ClickHouston.
After leaving the place, the killer called his sisters and asked for money because as he told them, he had to take care of certain “out of town job.” The sisters, who spoke to People, said they could feel from his voice that he was in trouble and refused to help him.
🙏 Keep Ashley Garcia’s family in your thoughts and prayers 🙏 Garcia leaves behind her 8-year-old son who police said may have seen his mother being beaten to death by her boyfriend with steel-toe boots. Alexis Armando Rojas-Mendez has not been arrested. https://t.co/YgHpoFH3y3
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) September 24, 2020
Rojas-Mendez is charged with murder and is on the run. The police is urging anyone who has any information that could help lead to his arrest to come forward and contact the HPD Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.