by A 16-year-old boy in Colorado has been charged with murder after he allegedly fatally shot a teenage girl who had tried to break up with him weeks earlier, authorities said.
On June 16, Jovanni Sirio-Cardona allegedly broke into Lily Silva-Lopez’s mobile home through a bedroom window and shot her multiple times. according to a Facebook post from the Weld County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities later learned that the couple had dated for about six months and that Lily had tried to end their relationship about four weeks before the shooting, according to the prosecutor’s office.
NBC News does not normally name minors charged with a crime, but Sirio-Cardona has been charged as an adult, according to the Weld County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to being charged with first-degree and second-degree murder, he is charged with first-degree robbery, aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm by a minor, the prosecutor’s office said.
It was not immediately clear Tuesday if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf or if he has pleaded guilty.
According to an arrest affidavit. Obtained by Denver’s NBC affiliate KUSALily told her 13-year-old brother to run when she saw Sirio-Cardona allegedly coming through her bedroom window. Sirio-Cardona allegedly found Lily in the hallway outside her bedroom and shot her multiple times, then allegedly demanded her brother hand over her phone, according to the affidavit obtained by KUSA.
Lily’s brother then went to a neighbor and told him that his sister had been shot and that Sirio-Cardona ran away after allegedly shooting her, and that neighbor called 911, KUSA reported.
When police arrived at Sirio-Cardona’s home after the shooting, he allegedly told his grandmother that he “did what he had to do and shot someone,” KUSA reported, citing the affidavit.
Lily was pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutor’s office said. his obituary says he was 15 years old and had just finished his sophomore year at Northridge High School.
“She enjoyed shopping, clothes, makeup and dancing,” the obituary says, adding that she also “loved to eat” and “loved animals.”
“She was a loving and caring friend with a lot of spice,” the obituary adds.
Lily’s parents could not immediately be reached Tuesday.
Sirio-Cardona is due to appear in Weld County court on Aug. 3 for a status conference, according to the prosecutor’s office. He is being held on $2 million bail, the prosecutor’s office said. It was not immediately clear where he is being held.
Representatives for the court, the prosecutor’s office and the Greeley Police Department could not immediately be reached.
Citing the affidavit, KUSA reported that Lily’s brother told police that Sirio-Cardona had been caught on camera walking by their house earlier that week, and that their mother told police that Sirio-Cardona he allegedly put a gun to Lily’s mouth and demanded that she tell him that she loved him when she tried to break up with him about a month before the fatal shooting.
And less than a week before the murder, police came to Lily’s home after a report that Sirio-Cardona had allegedly punched her in the face and injured her arm, KUSA reported, citing the affidavit.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionteen dating violence It can include physical or sexual violence, harassment, and psychological abuse. About 1 in 12 high school students experience physical or sexual dating violence, with female students experiencing higher rates than boys and LGBTQ youth experiencing higher rates than heterosexual students, the CDC says.
Intimate partner violence affects nearly half of all people in the US, with approximately 1 in 2 women reporting experiencing sexual or physical violence or being harassed by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. . according to the most recent CDC report on intimate partner and sexual violence. About 44% of men report the same, according to the CDC.
US crime reporting data suggests that approximately 1 in 5 homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner and that more than half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner , According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Teen Line provides peer-based support of trained teens who are available nightly for calls and texts. Call 310-855-HOPE (4673) or toll-free 800-TLC-TEEN from 3 pm to 7 pm ET, or text TEEN to 839863 from 3 to 6 pm ET. Teen Line also responds to emails and has a message board.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for anonymous and confidential online chats, available in English and Spanish. Individual states often have their own domestic violence hotlines as well.
Advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline receive calls from both domestic violence survivors and people who are concerned they may be abusive to their partners.
