MISHAWAKA, IN — A Mishawaka teen is in custody facing murder and feticide charges in the Sunday, Dec. 9 killing of a 17-year-old pregnant cheerleader whose body was found inside a dumpster. WNDU said the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit identified the victim as Breana Rouhselang, a junior at Mishawaka High School who was six months pregnant, according to her stepmother.
The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit identified Aaron Trejo, 16, a Mishawaka High School football player, as the accused killer on Sunday. Trejo is being charged as an adult and was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
According to police, Trejo was the father of Rouhselang’s baby. WTHR said Trejo told officers he was upset the mother-to-be waited to tell him she was pregnant until it was too late for her to get an abortion, according to court documents. Before Rouhselang disappeared Sunday, WTHR said the two teens went to talk behind Rouhselang’s house, where Trejo is accused of using a knife to stab her to death. According to court records, Trejo told police he had planned been planning the murder for about a week.
Rouhselang, a MHS cheerleader and softball player, lived with her stepmother about a block from where her body was found just hours after her family reported her missing. Her body was left in a dumpster behind Pasquale Rulli’s Restaurant, according to WNDU.
Trejo is being held at St. Joseph County jail.
On Sunday, Mishawaka High School released the following statement:
“The Mishawaka High School family suffered a terrible tragedy today. School administrators are working with authorities in the investigation of the death of 17-year-old Breana Rouhselang.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members and friends who have been affected by this great loss. Our focus now is to offer all of the support possible to our staff and students.
There will be grief counselors available at Mishawaka High School first thing in the morning, and throughout the day. School will be open, and we believe it is best for all students to come and be around those who care for them.”
A GoFundMe page was created by a friend of the victim’s family in an effort to raise money for 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,” page creator and family friend Michelle Blandford wrote.
As of Tuesday morning, more than $5,000 towards the $12,000 goal had been raised.
Patch will continue updating this story.
Main photo via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner