(CNN) — Prosecutors in Mexico have obtained an arrest warrant for the friend of a North Carolina woman who was found dead last month while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Shanquella Robinson, 25, was traveling with friends from Winston-Salem State University when she was found dead at a vacation rental property, her father, Bernard Robinson, said.
The young woman, along with six friends, arrived in Mexico on October 28, according to a statement issued by prosecutors in the case in Mexico. Officials now work on extradition proceedings alongside the country’s attorney general and foreign ministry.
Evidence indicates the death was “a direct assault, not an accident” and involved one of the victim’s friends, prosecutors said.
Authorities in Mexico have not identified the suspect, but confirmed that she is a US citizen believed to be in her country. No one has been charged in the case and authorities have not released the names of Robinson’s friends.
Shanquella Robinson was found dead in Mexico in October. WSOC/Robinson Family/Shanquella Robinson/Instagram
CNN has reached out to the US State Department, the FBI and the Justice Department for comment.
The suspect’s extradition process was already underway, said this Wednesday to local media the attorney general of the state of Baja California Sur, Daniel de la Rosa Anaya.
“There is already an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide to the detriment of the victim and once morest an alleged perpetrator of these events, a friend of hers,” De la Rosa said.
“We are already carrying out all the corresponding procedures, both the Interpol file and the extradition request,” he said.
crime timeline
Robinson last spoke to her mother, Salamondra, on the morning of October 28, her father told CNN last week. The next day, Shanquella Robinson was found dead at her vacation home, US and Mexican authorities said.
The cause of death was “severe spinal cord injury and atlantoaxial dislocation,” which is instability or excessive movement in the upper vertebrae of the neck, according to a copy of his death certificate. obtained by WBTV, CNN affiliate. She was found unconscious in the living room of the rental residence on October 29, according to the document.
The death certificate classified Robinson’s death as “accidental or violent,” noting that the approximate time between injury and death was 15 minutes.
A video posted online appears to show a physical altercation inside a room between Robinson and another person. It’s unclear when the video was taken or if it shows the moment she suffered the fatal injury.
In the video, Robinson is seen being thrown to the ground and hit in the head, Bernard Robinson confirmed to CNN.
It’s unclear what led up to the altercation or how many people were in the room at the time. It is also unclear if anyone tried to intervene.
The FBI’s Charlotte field office has opened an investigation into the death of Shanquella Robinson, it confirmed Friday.
His family had been waiting for more information from friends and from Mexican authorities, his father said a week ago.
“You took my only jewel,” he told CNN by phone. “You ripped a big hole in my heart. All I can do is fight for her; I can’t let him die in vain.”
CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Hannah Sarisohn, Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
