A man faces allegations tied to the death of a 14-year-old girl named Erika Yung at the doorway of a home on Vázquez de Mella. Erika had been a familiar presence in Vallobin, where she spent years performing and was among a small circle of peers who had warned each other about the risks girls faced. Those peers later learned that the person accused in Erika’s case was the same individual they had previously condemned after a separate incident on Uría Street in 2019.
Here is the heartbreaking statement:
“In 2019 I accused this man of cornering me and attempting to subdue me with a sack. He was acquitted because the court ruled that not being able to cover someone with a sack equated to verbal abuse, a petty crime. Since then, I have seen reports online about other girls who encountered him and were harassed or cornered. We warned each other because we feared the danger. Justice did not seem to come for us. We have warned many different people again and again. Small crimes, petty crimes—yet something feels wrong when it takes a tragedy to make us listen. I cannot comprehend the system, but it seems clear something is off if cries for help must wait for a fatal act to be taken seriously. Erika, I am deeply sorry for what you endured. I mourn for you and for everyone who knew you and continues to love you.”
In a social media post, the accusation from 2019 was echoed when Erika’s peers recalled another incident: “Forty minutes ago I was walking toward Uría and a boy tried to corner me and put a sack over my head. It is not just an isolated moment of danger. Our everyday routes, our outfits, the times we travel—none of it ever fully guarantees safety. The real danger lies in the sense that some people feel they have the right to control us.”
Classmates in high school were horrified
“He always wore a smile, he seemed cheerful,” recounted a trio of Erika’s peers, all around the age Erika was when she was killed in Oviedo the previous Tuesday. The trio spoke while making their way home from La Ería Institute of Secondary Education at around half past two in the afternoon, mirroring the route Erika reportedly took just a day earlier. One of them, visibly shaken, described the person in the middle as the most talkative, the one who often framed the first sentence in quotation marks. The two girls who spoke described childhood encounters with him who once found him pleasant, a memory that now clashes with the present gravity. The corridor outside the school’s classrooms held its breath as teachers and students absorbed the news. The school community, stunned, tried to process the shock, a stark reminder of how fragile safety can feel. Emma Álvarez, the director of the IES, spoke for many when she expressed a sense of heartbreak and reevaluation about humanity’s direction and how communities respond to violence. The sentiment resonated through hallways and shared spaces as staff and families faced the uncertain days ahead.
Throughout the community, questions linger about how such events unfold and what measures could better protect young people. Officials, educators, and families emphasized the need for ongoing dialogue, clearer reporting channels, and stronger support networks to help students navigate risky situations and recognize when protection is required. The incident has prompted conversations about how schools address safety, how neighborhoods monitor potential threats, and how communities rally around victims and their families when tragedy strikes. In the days to come, authorities are expected to provide updates on investigations and any steps being taken to prevent similar harm in the future. The focus remains on Erika’s memory and on the broader imperative to ensure that young people feel safe in their daily environments. (Source: local news coverage)