- Kendra McIntyre, 20, was shot and killed in Los Angeles on March 21.
- Her mother is Debra Rush, a trafficking survivor and advocate.
- A 14-year-old girl was arrested on May 6 and charged the next day
A California teenager has been charged with the murder of the daughter of the executive director of a human trafficking nonprofit.
The 14-year-old girl, who has not been identified, is accused of fatally shooting 20-year-old Kendra McIntyre near a South Los Angeles elementary school on March 21.
McIntyre was the daughter of Debra Rush, executive director of Breaking the Chains, a Fresno nonprofit that helps victims of trafficking.
The victim was shot in the head and neck apparently at random. C.B.Yes reports.
According to authorities, the murder took place in an area of the city known for sex work. McIntyre was rushed to the hospital where she later died.
A 14-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of 20-year-old Kendra McIntyre (pictured), shot to death in Los Angeles.
McIntyre was the daughter of Debra Rush, executive director of Breaking the Chains, a Fresno nonprofit that helps victims of trafficking (pictured together).
The victim was shot in the head and neck apparently at random, according to officials at a location known for sex work.
Rush, who is a trafficking survivor, said her daughter had been lured there and into the world she had managed to escape from before her death.
‘Kendra was an incredible human being in every way; fiercely loyal, beautifully artistic, hilarious, outgoing and loving,” Rush wrote in a tribute post on Facebook explaining the circumstances of her life.
“I don’t know exactly when the first dealer was able to lure her in, I probably never will, but what I do know very well is that once you walk through that door, it’s an iron vault that can only be unlocked by the person inside it.
“My daughter never had the chance to open her vault, even though we stood outside, banging on the door, crying and begging her to open it.”
He added that McIntyre had suffered mental health problems as a result of childhood trauma.
The suspect was identified after a two-month investigation and taken into custody on May 6.
Rush, who is a trafficking survivor, said her daughter had been lured there and into the world she had managed to escape before her death.
McIntyre was discovered with head and neck injuries and rushed to hospital where she later died.
The suspect was arrested on May 6 without incident and charged the next day, police said.
“Kendra’s life was taken from her in a senseless act of violence, leaving Debra and her family devastated,” a post on a GoFundMe configured for Rush states.
“Debra’s world has been shattered by this unimaginable loss.”
Rush has been an advocate for trafficking victims since she was “lured and violently trafficked” for several months in 1999, according to her nonprofit’s website.
She managed to escape and was taken to a confidential location away from her abusers.
But her isolation following the incident led her to create her agency in a bid to help others in the same situation.