Rumors are swirling, and reports have been disseminated about an official arrest in the death of Shanquella Robinson, however, the woman’s mother has called out the FBI for lack of action in the case.
Salamondra Robinson is demanding answers and someone be held accountable for her daughter’s death.
“I’m just trying to wait for somebody to be arrested. The FBI is not telling anything,” Salamondra Robinson told The Independent.
Mexican publication Metrópolimx reported on Nov. 29 that Daejhanae Jackson, the woman who was allegedly in a viral video assaulting the dead woman, was arrested by “Interpol agents” on Nov. 28 at a relative’s home. The article, reproduced by some U.S. publications and cited by YouTube bloggers, also said Jackson was in federal custody awaiting extradition to Mexico.
However, Robinson’s father also told WCNC that he was unaware of any arrests in the case. Atlanta Black Star also independently verified the claims with the FBI’s Charlotte field office and the U.S. Department of Justice.
While Mexican authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a “friend” of Robinson “who is the direct aggressor,” they did not name a suspect. Daniel de la Rosa Anaya, local prosecutor for the state of Baja California Sur, told reporters on Nov. 23 that his office is treating the case like a femicide — the murder of a woman because of her gender.
According to Robinson’s parents, she flew to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with a group of friends on Oct. 28 for a weekend trip to reportedly celebrate Jackson’s birthday. The group rented a private villa. Robinson told her mother on the first night that they had a private chef who served them tacos. She died within the next 24 hours, according to reports.
The circumstances behind her death captured national interest after a video of a woman kicking and punching Robinson went viral. The footage horrified Robinson’s parents, whom her travel mates initially told that the 25-year-old died from alcohol poisoning.
However, Robinson’s death certificate did not mention alcohol. Instead, it showed that she had a broken back and neck.
Jackson’s name rose to the top of the list of suspects after social media sleuths posted the villa’s registration form. Many social users, and a local blog, The North Carolina Beat, identified her as the woman thrashing a naked Robinson in a bedroom while others stood by, watched and recorded on their phones.
A friend of Jackson’s mother reportedly told The North Carolina Beat that Robinson was also attacked by another woman on the trip, Wenter Donovan, who reportedly called 911 sometime before Robinson’s death, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Facts Behind Rumors of an Arrest In Shanquella Robinson Case
Still, the Metrópolimx reports that Jackson is in federal custody in the U.S. Another article published on Nov. 30 also claims Jackson was apprehended in Connecticut.
However, FBI Public Affairs Specialist Shelley Lynch told Atlanta Black Star on Thursday that the agency, which is a branch of the USDOJ, has not closed its investigation. Mexican authorities have not confirmed an arrest was made as of Thursday afternoon.
Prosecutor de la Rosa Anaya said last Wednesday that his office is “carrying out all the pertinent procedures such as the Interpol alert and the request for extradition to the United States of America.”
According to the DOJ, Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, is the world’s largest international police organization. It allows police agencies to exchange information and “promote cooperation and assistance between law enforcement authorities of its member countries.”
While U.S. and Mexico are member countries, Interpol does not have its own law enforcement agents, DOJ states.
The latest Metrópolimx article claims that the U.S. and Mexican governments are keeping the arrest a secret “to avoid violating the due process of extradition.”
The U.S. and Mexico signed an extradition treaty in 1978 that calls for the return of those who have committed crimes and fled into either country. Although the process can vary, extradition is usually initiated after a person has been located and arrested in the requested country (in this case, the U.S.), DOJ states.
More than a month later, the details of Robinson’s death are still foggy. Her death certificate reportedly shows that she died 15 minutes after her injuries. However, according to The Charlotte Observer, police reports show that a doctor cared for Robinson a few hours before she died, and paramedics attempted to resuscitate her.
Still, it isn’t clear yet what really happened to Robinson in Mexico.
The woman’s parents said the group called and told them Shanquella was sick, vomiting because she drank too much alcohol. She was reportedly discovered incapacitated by a service worker.
The woman’s mother isn’t sure she ever received medical help. However, a representative of cabovillas.com told WJZY the group in the villa contacted the concierge, who called a doctor. It is unclear if the doctor noticed the injuries listed on the death certificate, which is usually based on the autopsy results.
“I’m not sure if anyone ever arrived because I was never allowed to talk to them,” Salamondra Robinson told The Washington Post this week. “I asked them to let me speak to the doctor when they arrived, but they told me that the doctor is busy with Shanquella.”
When the travel mates finally called Salamondra back, they told her Shanquella was dead.
Local reporters have tried to locate the six other people who signed the guest registration form for the villa that weekend. Salamondra believes after the news broke about Robinson’s death certificate, they went on “the run.” They stopped calling or visiting Robinson’s family.
The family has now hired an attorney to help them find answers.
“There’s a whole lot of unanswered questions in my mind about her death,” Bernard Robinson said. “I just want justice for my daughter. She was my only child.”
