A 38-year-old man murdered three teens in their home before sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child there and dying himself.
Six-months pregnant Sayuri Gil, 19, and her younger sister Melany Torres, 13, were allegedly killed on Saturday night by 38-year-old Humberto Valdez-Saldana. According to ABC 13, the family of the third victim, a 14-year-old girl named Laisha Perez who lived in the Galena Park neighborhood and was friends with the teenagers, recognized her as the third victim.
The mother of Sayuri and Melany, who wasn’t home when the murders took place, dated Valdez-Saldana, according to the source.
After killing the three teenagers, Valdez-Saldana sexually abused a 12-year-old girl and instructed her to flee. She was able to take the unhurt 1-year-old girl from the residence and leave with her. According to ABC 13, a neighbor called police after spotting the two kids on their security video.
Another neighbor informed the source that she covered the 1-year-old and the 12-year-old, both of whom were unclothed, until the police arrived. Valdez-Saldana shot himself to death prior to the arrival of law authorities. No explanation for the killings has been given.
According to ABC 13, family friend Suzanna Villa Franca described Sayuri and Melany as “happy girls.” “They had a constant smile. They never failed to make me feel better, even when I was feeling down. Always. the two of them.”
A GoFundMe has been started to help with funeral costs.
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org if you are a victim of domestic abuse. All phone calls are free and private. The hotline is accessible around-the-clock in more than 170 languages.