Sep 4, 2008 5:24 pm US/Pacific
Turlock Track Star Allegedly Murdered By Boyfriend
TURLOCK (CBS13) ―
A local high school track star was brutally beaten to death, allegedly by her boyfriend who is a decorated Iraq war veteran.
Jacque Villagomez went to high school in Turlock and led her team to a track and field title. She then moved to Southern California where police say she was killed.
19-year-old Jacqwelyn Villagomez, a Pitman High School track star in Turlock was found murdered in San Clemente, CA.
Investigators say Villagomez was brutally beaten to death by her 25-year-old boyfriend, John Needham.
Needham's brother, Matt, says John is a decorated Iraq war veteran. John reportedly served two tours overseas.
"The mental state he's in since Iraq, nothing would surprise me," says Matt.
Deputies were surprised when they showed up at John's Orange County condo Tuesday because of a disturbance call.
"When deputies came to the door he had no clothes on, was very combative and very uncooperative, deputies had to restrain him with a tazer. Once he was restrained, police went to the bedroom and found the victim unconscious in a bloody scene," says deputies.
According to the local Turlock newspaper, Villagomez went to L.A. to pursue her acting ambitions.
The paper quotes her high school track coach who says he held Villagomez in high regards and was worried about her moving to Southern California on her own.
When she starting dating John Needham is unclear to authorities, but their relationship was apparently on the rocks.
"I do know that they were unhappy being together and he didn't want her staying here (condo) and that she wasn't going to go anywhere else, and that she figured all she had left, she has nothing else to lose in the world," explains John's Brother, Matt.
Back in Turlock the loss in tremendous, but memories will always be remembered.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
