Obituaries
Brandy Vela
June 5, 1998 - November 29, 2016
Brandy Vela
Jun 05, 1998 - Nov 29, 2016
Brandy Vela passed away on November 29th, 2016 in Texas City, Texas. A visitation will be held at Carnes Funeral Home in Texas City, on Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 from 5:00pm until 7:00pm. A Celebration of Life ceremony will follow begining at 7:00pm.
A Texas teenager took her own life in front of her devastated family after suffering for more than a year at the hands of vicious cyberbullies, authorities said.
Tormentors hiding behind fake Facebook accounts had long been harassing Brandy Vela, 18, picking on her about her weight and criticizing her looks in messages that she tried to ignore.
Then someone began pretending to be Brandy online, creating accounts that solicited sex that brought in an onslaught of phone calls that tormented the Texas City high school senior, her family said.
As soon as one page was taken down, another would pop up, leaving Brandy hopeless.
âSometimes she wouldnât sleep. Sheâd call me at night. Sheâd say 'Dad, I canât sleep. My phone keeps ringing,'â her father, Raul Vela, told KHOU. âAnd nobody was willing to help. The help never came.â
Brandy brought the harassing messages she had been receiving on her cell phone to her schoolâs attention before Thanksgiving, Melissa Tortorici, communications director for the Texas City Independent School District, told InsideEdition.com.
An investigation found that the messages were being sent through an untraceable app and authorities encouraged Brandy to change her phone number, she said.
Read: Mom Speaks Out After Terminally Ill Son, 3, Is Turned Into Cruel Meme: 'I'm Proud of the Child He Is'
Though she got a new number, the damage had been done, relatives said.
On Tuesday, Brandy texted and emailed her family apologizing and saying that she was going to kill herself.
They rushed home and pleaded with her to put down the gun that she had pressed against her chest, but Brandy wouldnât listen.
âShe said sheâd come too far to turn back,â Vela told KHOU. âItâs hard when your daughter tells you to turn around. You feel helpless.â
Emergency responders rushed Brandy to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Texas City Police are investigating the allegations of cyberbullying. No arrests have been made.
The Texas City Independent School District is cooperating with the police and have urged anyone with information to come forward, Tortorici said.
âTexas City ISD takes cyberbullying seriously and would penalize to the full extent of the law for any violations,â she said.
Read: 14-Year-Old Named Isis Posts Tearful Video to Empower Others Being Bullied
School officials are also âvery concernedâ for students and are monitoring them closely, authorities said.
âWe are mourning the loss of a wonderful young lady,â Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Lusignolo said. âWe are trying to take care of our studentsâ needs on campus as they grieve. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brandyâs family and friends. We appreciate the outpouring of support we have had in helping us take care of her teachersâ and classmatesâ needs.â
The hallways of Texas City High School of have been covered in blue hearts in remembrance of the girl with the âbeautiful blue eyes.â
âWe are devastated at this news. Our prayers, thoughts and concerns are with her family and friends as they grieve her loss,â Tortorici said in an email. âBrandy was well-liked and friendly... She has touched many people as evident by the outpouring of love from her schoolmates."
Students and teachers have also written letters to express their feelings about Brandy to her family, she said.
A prayer vigil in Brandyâs memory has been planned that will take place in the schoolâs parking lot at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
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henry vinson
henry vinson williamson wv
henry vinson washington dc
howard stern i personally wish that he had never run, i told him that. he wants to be liked. he wants to be loved..........cnn trump white house toward obama policies
jim sciutto @jimsciutto
u. n. amb. haley hits russia hard on ukraine
president trump
don lemon
dana bash chief political correspondent @danabashcnn
trump's cabinet providing steadying hands
we do want to better our relations with russia however.....sounds like the obama administration
jim acosta @acosta