Justice for Makayla Settles!

#msg2176142Video Title: 🚨Justice for Makayla Settles: Show Up Before It's Too Late🚨

#msg2176141Justice for Makayla Settles! Teen Dies by Suicide Months After Alleged Sex Abuse by Dad. Now He Faces Charges A teenager who reported being sexually assaulted by her father died by suicide months after the alleged incident. Prosecutors have since charged the father with incest, but the teen's family members say the charges are insufficient, voicing frustration that he has not been accused of rape. Stephen Vincent Chavez, of Moorpark, Calif., is facing charges of felony incest and providing alcohol to a minor in connection with July 2025 incident involving 18-year-old Makayla Rene Settles, according to a complaint filed by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office and obtained by PEOPLE. The complaint also mentions two special allegations that Chavez "took advantage of a position of trust and confidence to commit the offense" and that "the victim was particularly vulnerable." The teen's cousin wrote on a GoFundMe campaign that the alleged sexual abuse occurred two days after Settles moved in with her "biological father." The family told Fox 11 she moved from North Carolina in July 2025 to start a new life. "The pain and heartbreak that followed were overwhelming, and Makayla ultimately took her own life [in December 2025]," family member Crystal Sandoval said on the fundraising page. "Our family is devastated, and we are determined to honor her memory by seeking justice on her behalf." She claims that "despite clear evidence, including a rape kit, a statement to the police, and a recorded interview at the safe house," prosecutors told the family that "none of this can be used because Makayla is no longer here to speak for herself." The Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, April 25 that they have "taken this case seriously since the beginning," calling the allegations "horrific." "Prosecutors charged the defendant with what we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Those charges were filed immediately in July of 2025," the statement read. "After learning of Makayla's tragic death, prosecutors reevaluated the evidence, as we routinely do in every case where the victim can no longer testify," the statement continued. "That review did not change our position. We are prosecuting the defendant and seeking a state prison sentence." The office said it is "seeking justice for Makayla, and will be trying this case in a courtroom, not on social media." Chavez has entered a not guilty plea to the charges and was released after posting $250,000 bail, Fox 11 reported. After his court appearance on Tuesday, April 21, the teen's mother voiced frustration. "She was taken advantage of physically and mentally," family member Carolina Sandoval claimed to Fox 11. "So if that's not rape, I really don't know what is." If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. people.com/teen-suic ide-months-after-all eged-rape-dad-now-ch arged-incest-11

#msg2176589West-Tex : of course that is rape. . They've got her messages recorded. She told everything. Just because she's dead doesn't mean the evidence shouldn't be in the record. She's talking from her grave.

#msg2176643Maxsmom : It's absolutely ridiculous!