An arrest warrant has been issued in the mysterious passing of Shanquella Robinson, a 25-year-old North Carolina woman who died last month during a trip to Cabo, Mexico.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Mexican prosecutors confirmed the warrant Wednesday, less than four weeks after Robinson was found dead in her hotel room. Authorities have not released the suspect’s name; however, Daniel de la Rosa Anaya, a prosecutor for the state of Baja California Sur, described the individual as Robinson’s “friend.”
“This case is fully clarified,” he told reporters. “We even have a court order, there is an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide to the detriment of the victim against an alleged perpetrator, a friend of her who is the direct aggressor.”
Femicide is widely considered an anti-woman hate crime that comprises acts like verbal harassment and assault. The World Health Organization states femicide is generally defined as the “intentional murder of women because they are women, but broader definitions include any killings of women or girl.”
Robinson’s death has made national headlines due to the suspicious details surrounding the case. The woman reportedly arrived in Mexico with a group of friends on Oct. 28, and was found dead a day later. Robinson’s family claims they were told Shanquella died from alcohol poisoning, but an official autopsy report listed her cause of death as “severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation.” The findings have led investigators to believe Robinson was a victim of femicide.
Shortly after the death, a video surfaced on social media allegedly showing Robinson being attacked in a hotel room. The footage showed a woman beating Robinson, while another individual filmed.
“The United States State Department released a statement claiming ‘no clear evidence of foul play,’ yet there is a video circulating of a woman violently attacking Shanquella,” Robinson’s sister Quilla Long wrote on a GoFundMe page. “This statement is unacceptable, and we are beyond devastated. We continue to fight for the truth.”
The FBI said it launched investigation into Robinson’s death last month, but declined to provide more details.
