A 16-year-old Laredo girl died the day after being stabbed in Zapata, and the man accused in the attack now faces a murder charge after the Zapata County Sheriff's Office announced the charge upgrade. Abigail Lizette Flores was identified as the victim, and the suspect taken into custody immediately after the stabbing was her boyfriend, according to relatives.
Flores was stabbed in Zapata on Oct. 25 and died after being taken to a hospital, according to Laredo Morning Times. The Zapata County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the juvenile female victim in the Sunday stabbing case had died, according to KGNS. Francisco Javier Torres Jr. was identified by relatives as Flores' boyfriend, per the Laredo Morning Times report, which cites her mother and aunt as saying Flores had traveled to Zapata before the stabbing.
Charge Upgraded to Murder
Torres was taken into custody right after the stabbing and was initially charged with aggravated assault of a family or household member with a weapon causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony, the station's report notes. Once Flores died, the sheriff's office said the charge against Torres had been upgraded to murder. Officials have said the victim and suspect knew each other, though per the same account, authorities have not released a motive or explained what led to the attack.
The case remains under active investigation, and the Texas Department of Public Safety's Texas Rangers Division is assisting the Zapata County Sheriff's Office, the station reported. No further details about what preceded the stabbing have been made public.
Funeral Services Set for Early November
Flores' family has established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses, according to the Laredo Morning Times. The fundraiser describes the family as grieving deeply and says everything happened suddenly, calling the loss incredibly hard on those left behind.
Visitation and funeral services for Flores are scheduled for Nov. 2 and 3 in Laredo, with burial set for Nov. 3 at Laredo City Cemetery, per the same report. As the investigation continues, no additional details about the circumstances leading up to the stabbing have been disclosed by authorities.
