“I took action… I took her life!” High school football player arrested for murder of pregnant cheerleader found in dumpster – Aaron Trejos said Breana Rouhselang, 17, ‘waited too long to tell him about the baby… it was too late for an abortion’
The body of six-months pregnant high school student Breana Rouhselang was found Sunday morning
The 17-year-old cheerleader was found hidden in a dumpster behind a pizza restaurant near her home in Mishawaka, Indiana
Breana’s schoolmate and football player, Aaron Trejo, 16, was arrested Sunday
Breana, 17, and Aaron both attended Mishawaka High School , Indiana – Breana managed the high school football team and was a cheerleader
Trejo allegedly stabbed and killed Rouhselang after the two got in a fight over her pregnancy.
Trejo initially denied he met with Rouhselang the night of her disappearance, but confronted with the physical evidence, admitted Rouhselang waited too long to tell him about the baby and it was too late for an abortion
Asked what he did about it, Trejo reportedly told police, “I took action… I took her life”
He was charged as an adult Monday with one count of felony murder and one count of feticide
Aaron Trejo, 16, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was arrested Sunday for an alleged connection to the murder of 17-year-old pregnant schoolmate Breana Rouhselang
A 16-year-old teen has been arrested in the killing of a 17-year-old pregnant schoolmate whose body was found in an Indiana restaurant dumpster.
Lt. Alex Arendt of St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit said the teen, who has since been identified as Aaron Trejo, 16, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was arrested Sunday.
The body of Breana Rouhselang, 17, a cheerleader and football team manager at Mishawaka High School, was discovered by authorities Sunday morning in a dumpster behind Pasquale Rulli Pizza in Mishawaka, just a block away from where she lived with her biological mother.
Trejo allegedly stabbed and killed Rouhselang after the two got in a fight over her pregnancy.
Breana was a cheerleader and manager of the high school football team, which Trejo was on
Authorities investigated the scene where Breana’s body was discovered in a dumpster behind Pasquale Rulli Pizza on Sunday morning
Breana’s stepmother, Nicole Rouhselang, told reporters on Sunday that the teen had been about six months pregnant at the time of her death.
She was last seen at her home at around midnight Saturday. Her family reported her missing about 4.30 am Sunday after they ‘got the feeling that something wasn’t right,’ police said.
Authorities then began searching the alley near her family home, eventually discovering her body in the dumpster behind Pasquale Rulli’s.
Authorities said that the restaurant itself was not involved in the homicide, but that it was just ‘a location of opportunity to hide the victim,’ according to the South Bend Tribune.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the suspect initially denied he met with Rouhselang the night of her disappearance, but when confronted with the physical evidence, eventually told them Rouhselang waited too long to tell him about the baby and it was too late for an abortion.
When asked what he did about it, Trejo reportedly gave a chilling response “I took action… I took her life” .
Killed because she was going to keep her baby: Breana’s stepmother said that she was six months pregnant when her body was found
When Rouhselang’s mother woke up around 1 a.m. Sunday and her daughter wasn’t home, she became concerned and went looking for her. She went to Trejo’s home several blocks away. He told her that Rouhselang had not shown up when he went to meet her in the ally behind her house, according to the affidavit.
Police questioned Trejo at home but, he maintained his cover story that he had gone to meet Rouhselang but she did not show up.
Officers returned to the alley behind Rouhselang’s home and located glasses and a stocking cap that matched a description given by the girl’s mother, with what appeared to be blood traces on the hat.
Victim: Breana’s family reported her missing about 4.30am Sunday after they ‘got the feeling that something wasn’t right’
Officers followed the blood trail to Rouhselang’s body in a dumpster behind Pasquale Rulli’s restaurant, a block away from her home. A trash bag was pulled over her head and upper torso, according to court documents.
Trejo now in custody was still claiming he had gone to meet Rouhselang to talk about the pregnancy, but she did not show up. He reportedly told police that neither he nor Rouhselang wanted the baby.
Investigators then confronted Trejo saying they believed he knew more than what he was telling. Police said Trejo then told them he had been thinking about killing Rouhselang and the baby for about a week and had not told anyone.
He reportedly told police he chose to stab Rouhselang because he thought it would kill her quickly. He walked to the St. Joseph River and threw the knife and Rouhselang’s cell phone, “as far out into the river as he could.”
An autopsy confirmed Rouhselang died from multiple stab wounds and that her scarf had been tied so tightly that strangulation was occurring before she died, according to court documents.
The autopsy also confirmed the pregnancy.
Trejo, 16, was charged Monday with one count of murder and one count of feticide, a Level 3 Felony.
Dave Rouhselang [left], pictured with his daughter Breana [right] and his wife – the victim’s stepmother Nicole Rouhselang [center]
Breana and her father, Dave, taken the last time they saw each other on November 17
Authorities executed a search warrant at Trejo’s home Sunday morning and arrested him there.
The two teens were Facebook friends, but Trejo listed himself as ‘single’ and Breana did not have her relationship status posted.
The victim’s stepmom Nicole Rouhselang told reporters that Breana had aspirations of going to college, but that she had been receiving failing grades recently.
‘She was like my daughter,’ Nicole told reporters, according to the South Bend Tribune. ‘I’ve known her since she was 6. I just don’t understand it. She was young. … too young to have a baby herself.’
Breana’s classmate, Alexis Humphries, told ABC57 that she doesn’t ‘understand how somebody could do that like, she was just such an amazing person – her friends, family, she definitely did not deserve this.’
Aaron Trejo (in 2016) was arrested at his home Sunday and is expected to be charged Monday
Authorities said the pizza restaurant which is a block away from her mom’s home, was not involved in the homicide, but just a convenient location for hiding Breana’s body
Authorities said the pizza restaurant was not involved in the homicide, but just a convenient location for hiding Breana’s body. The restaurant is a block away from her mom’s home
Students at Mishawaka High School staged a walkout Monday at 11am, observing a moment of silence around the school’s flagpole in honor of their friend and the time when police found Breana’s body, according to ABC57.
Police haven’t released details about a possible motive and an autopsy is being planned to determine Breana’s cause of death.
A GoFundMe has been established on behalf of the teen’s father, Dave, and stepmother, Nicole, to help pay for her funeral and memorial expenses.
‘This is such a hard tragedy to accept! This loving young lady was so full of life and didn’t deserve this,’ reads the description on the fundraising site page.
Breana’s schoolmates staged a walkout Monday at 11am to honor her memory and posted online
The flag was flying at half-staff in the school on Monday
The Mishawaka school district, issued a statement Sunday saying administrators were working with authorities in investigating the ‘terrible tragedy’ and that grief counselors would be available at Mishawaka High School on Monday.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members and friends who have been affected by this great loss,’ the statement said.
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