SAN ANTONIO — The latest death of a Fort Hood solider is getting the attention of the Vanessa Guillen family. Mayra Guillen, Vanessa's sister, spoke to KENS 5 about the latest case of 1st Cavalry Division Soldier Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz.
The combat engineer was found dead last week at Fort Hood. It is the same place Vanessa was murdered nearly three years ago.
According to reports, Basaldua Ruiz told family she had been sexually harassed. Investigators do not believe there was any foul play in her death.
Mayra said this case is reopening old wounds for the family.
"My sister came to mind," she said. "It was the first thing."
For Mayra, she said the fight is not over. She simply said, enough, no more.
"In shock, at the moment, to learn there is another death it could possibly be connected to sexual harassment or sexual assault in the military," she said.
Right before Vanessa's murder in April 2020, Vanessa complained of being sexually harassed. Before her death, Basaldua Ruiz reportedly claimed the same thing to family and friends. Army CID investigators are looking into the claims. In a news conference Friday, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding general, III Armored Corps said CID will investigate those allegations thoroughly.
"I hope that people remember, first and foremost, the fact that his happened yet once again after three long years," Mayra said. "And how it is still persistent. In cases like these it should still pick up a lot of interest because what leads a person to go to the extent of not wanting to live anymore. What was the pressure. What was the issue."
Latino Civil Rights Organization LULAC, is pushing for the FBI to handle this investigation saying this latest death is an all-too-familiar reminder of what happened to Vanessa. KENS 5 asked Marya if she is confident CID will thoroughly handle the investigation, or if it should be the FBI.
"It is hard to tell," she said. "We don't know until we get results. It is hard to say. It would be great if the FBI would investigate."
Mayra has not met with the parents of Basaldua Ruiz. She does plan to do a call to action next month in Washington, D.C.