COLORADO, USA — There are many things that Alexis Pena said she will remember about her sister, Mya.
“She had such a warm spirit when she came into the room and would always make you smile," Alexis Pena said. "She loved everyone, she had a really big heart. She was really sensitive.”
Mya Pena was the youngest sister, in a house with all girls.
“I had both of my girls younger, and they just gave me purpose,” said the girls’ mother, Audra Pena. “And my girls were always my motivation. They empowered me. We empowered each other, gave each other strength. We were the three of us.”
Now the Pena’s said they are looking for ways to honor Mya’s legacy, following her unexpected death.
Mya Pena was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide that started in Douglas County earlier this month and ended near Colorado Springs.
Investigators said she was killed by a fellow teenager, in a car, right after school. The 18-year old suspect killed himself later that same day, according to police.
Though the official autopsy is not yet complete, Mya Pena's family said she was strangled by a boy she knew and had briefly dated. A young man investigators said had mental health concerns, and was even placed on a mental health hold in Douglas County last year.
“She would often tell me, mom, we need to pray for him, and we would,” Audra Pena said. “And because she had such a big heart, she tried to help him. She was trying to save him.”
“We want to share that Mya did fight for her life,” added Alexis Pena.
The family said they want to find a way to use Mya’s story to help other young people, who might find themselves in a similar situation. They said they want to encourage young women to take self-defense classes and hope to convince school districts to teach self-defense to students.
They also said they want to use their platform to encourage people to talk about safety within relationships – recognizing red flags, feeling comfortable talking to someone who can help, finding ways to leave an unsafe relationship, opening a line of communication for victims.
“I want to take this pain and this anger I have and I want to start a foundation for Mya,” her mother said.
She said she wants to call it “Mya’s World.”
“I’ve already had mothers reach out to me that have had similar situations, and just talked me through it, and are wanting to help us,” Audra Pena said.
“I received a message from a young lady yesterday who said, ‘I cut off a toxic relationship because of Mya’s story’.”
Mya Pena was a student at Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, where classmates and teachers held a vigil for her recently. Her funeral was earlier this week.
The Pena’s said Mya loved Vans shoes and hundreds of people honored her at the funeral by wearing the brand in tribute.
Alexis Pena remembered her sister as loving, eccentric and competitive.
“The world is going to miss our Mya,” Audra Pena added. “We’re going to fight back for her, make her life live on forever.”
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