A Texas stepdad who was allegedly shot to death by his daughter's teen stalker "bravely" defended his family in the moment he was killed, says his widow.
Osvaldo Casas, a 37-year-old father of three, was fatally shot outside his Houston home Aug. 10 while confronting a "suspicious person" – later identified as 17-year-old Cristian Gasca Martinez, according to police.
The suspect was arrested Thursday, more than two months after the alleged slaying.
Casas, who was expecting a baby boy with his wife, Judith Molina, died "while bravely protecting our family," she wrote, according to a GoFundMe.
"He leaves behind two beautiful daughters, a 16-year-old and an 8-year-old, as well as our unborn son," who arrived days after the family laid Casas to rest.
"Osvaldo was overjoyed at the thought of meeting his baby boy and becoming a father to a son," the fundraiser description read. He "was a man of deep love and kindness. He was loved by so many in our community and never hesitated to lend a helping hand."
The deadly confrontation was allegedly sparked by Casas' teenage stepdaughter's repeated rejection of Martinez's advances.
"The defendant shot the complainant in retaliation for being rejected by the complainant's 16-year-old daughter, who the defendant had been stalking," court records stated, according to KTRK-TV.
"He was just mad that she didn't want to date him. That she wanted to do nothing with him," Molina told KHOU-TV over the weekend. "So, he was stalking her – stalking our house for days – which I didn't know about."
Martinez has been charged with murder.
He is being held on $200,000 bond and is due in court in December, according to jail records.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald.
