An 18-year-old man, Zander Tashman, was apprehended by Texas officials after reportedly assisting his 17-year-old girlfriend, Ellyse Suarez, in her suicide in Nov. 2023. He faces charges of aiding suicide and is detained on a $10,000 bond, per Fox News.
On Nov. 20, 2023, Frisco Police Department officers went to 8000 McKinney Road following reports of a deceased individual at a Frisco Commons Park pond, as stated in a press release.
Officials said,
“After an exhaustive investigation, evidence collected in the case indicated that 18-year-old Zander Tashman of Frisco aided the deceased, his 17-year-old girlfriend, in committing suicide….. Tashman was taken into custody on February 18, 2024.”
Suarez and Tashman began dating when she was just a sophomore in high school. At the time of her death, Suarez was a senior, as stated by her mother, who was identified as Azucena, per WFAA.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Reynie Tinajero, the attorney for Tashman, expressed that the 18-year-old defendant and his family deeply regret the tragic event that occurred.
His attorney revealed,
“I’m sorry authorities made a poor and probably emotional choice to blame Zander and to do so in a public way. We’ll be making our case in a court of law. Zander is an exemplary college student with no prior history of criminal behavior. Zander is innocent.”
Azucena shared with WFAA that her daughter confided in her about feeling
“depressed”
six weeks before her passing. Despite seeking counseling and therapy, Suarez expressed that she didn’t see significant improvement.
Despite it all, She wishes that sharing her daughter’s experience and mental health raise awareness among parents.
