16-year-old girl found shot, killed in Liberty County identified; last seen leaving job at Niko Niko’s in west Houston

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – Investigators in Liberty County have identified the 16-year-old girl who was found shot and killed in Liberty County.

According to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, investigators identified the girl as Emily Rodriguez-Avila.

A passerby discovered the teen’s body found on the side of county road 3550 near Plum Grove around 8:30 a.m. Sunday and called 911.

She had been shot, according to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Captain Ken DeFoor.

DeFoor said Emily was still wearing a hairnet and a uniform from Niko Niko’s restaurant.

The owner of the popular restaurant chain, Dimitri Fetokakis, confirmed to KPRC 2 News Tuesday that Emily worked at the Memorial/Spring Branch location at the corner of the Katy Freeway and the Sam Houston Tollway since August. Fetokakis said the girl’s sister normally picked her up from work, but she reportedly told her family she was leaving after her Saturday night shift.

“It’s gut-wrenching, it’s one of your own. we’re all pretty shocked,” Fetokakis said.


About the Authors

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.

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