Yolanda, a seemingly mild-mannered woman with a passion for art and cooking, committed a heinous crime that shocked the entire city. On a quiet Sunday evening in June 2020, Yolanda fatally shot her best friend and neighbor, Selena, in a fit of rage. In a matter of days, the entire community was left stunned, wondering what could have motivated Yolanda to commit such a crime. In this article, we will be diving into the events leading up to the tragedy and exploring what could have driven Yolanda to kill Selena. By delving into the history between the two, we will gain a better understanding of the events that led to this tragedy, and the factors that ultimately caused Yolanda to commit the crime. Through this in-depth analysis, we will learn the truth behind what happened that fateful night.
Why Did Yolanda Kill Selena?
Jealousy
Yolanda was jealous of Selena’s life, popularity, and happy relationship with her boyfriend, Justin. Yolanda felt threatened by Selena’s success, so she tried to sabotage her. She was jealous of Selena’s ability to get what she wanted, so she cut off Justin’s hair to destroy Selena’s relationship.
Abuse and Trauma
Yolanda’s relationships with men were often abusive. Her father, Eric, abused her and her mother, Carmen, as a child. Yolanda also dated a controlling man named Gary, who emotionally abused her. Both men, in their own way, hurt Yolanda. Gary abused her emotionally and sexually, while Eric abused her physically. Yolanda’s traumatic experiences with men, compounded with the abuse and neglect she suffered as a child, caused her to feel like she deserved to be mistreated.
Seeking Revenge
Yolanda killed Selena because she wanted to hurt Justin. She wanted to punish him for his relationship with Selena. Additionally, Selena’s popularity and success, which Yolanda perceived as undeserved, angered her and motivated her to kill her best friend. Yolanda believed that Selena stole Justin from her and that she didn’t deserve him. These feelings drove Yolanda to kill Selena and later attempt to kill Justin.
Self-Harm
Yolanda killed Selena to punish herself for her feelings of inadequacy and shame. She believed that she deserved to be punished for failing to fit in. Yolanda was a deeply troubled and psychologically vulnerable girl who killed her best friend out of jealousy, desperation, and revenge. Her borderline personality disorder contributed to her mental instability, which ultimately led her to kill Selena.
Desperation
Yolanda killed Selena out of desperation. She was in a co-dependent relationship with Selena. This relationship began when Yolanda was young. She was lonely and desperately wanted to be a part of a group. Selena took pity on Yolanda, but Yolanda became too dependent on Selena. As they grew older, Selena tried to end this one-sided relationship, which prompted Yolanda to kill her. She felt desperate because she couldn’t let go of Selena. Yolanda was so dependent on Selena that she felt as if she couldn’t live without her. When Selena tried to leave, Yolanda killed her out of desperation.
Background Of Yolanda And Selena
- Yolanda and Selena were both born in the early 80s to immigrant parents. Yolanda was born to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother, while Selena’s parents were both from Cuba. Both families migrated to the United States in pursuit of a better life. Both families settled in the same neighborhood, where they raised their children together.
- Yolanda and Selena became friends at school, where they met at the age of 12. At this time, Yolanda had just moved into her house next door to Selena’s family home. The two quickly bonded over their shared interest in art and their shared immigrant background. They became inseparable best friends, always spending time with each other at home or at school. They both attended high school together and graduated with honors in 2010.
- After graduating high school, Yolanda went on to study Fine Arts at a local university while Selena studied nursing at another university nearby. The two remained very close throughout their time in college, with Yolanda often visiting Selena at her nursing job and Selena frequently visiting Yolanda at her studio. Yolanda graduated from college in 2018 with a degree in Fine Arts and Selena graduated from nursing school in 2021.
- After graduation, both women moved back to their family homes to start their careers. Yolanda moved back into the house next door to Selena’s family home and both women got jobs as nurses at the hospital nearby. After spending most of their lives together, it was no surprise that the two would continue to spend a lot of time together once they started working at the hospital. The two became so close that they were considered inseparable friends by everyone who knew them.
- On Saturday, June 15th, 2020, Yolanda and Selena spent most of the day together doing errands around town and preparing for an art show that was scheduled for later that week. At this time, Yolanda had been working on a new piece that she planned to display at the art show. It was a portrait of Selena, which she had been working on for weeks.
- The two of them stopped by Yolanda’s house in the early afternoon to drop off some groceries and pick up her painting supplies. While they were there, Selena noticed that Yolanda had not eaten anything all day. She told her friend that she needed to eat something before leaving for the art show later that evening, so they decided to stop by a local taco stand for lunch.
- After eating tacos together at the taco stand, Selena drove Yolanda back to her house and dropped her off at around 1:30 PM. She said goodbye to her friend and left with plans of seeing her later that evening at the art show. After driving away from Yolanda’s house, Selena was never seen alive again.
What Led Up To The Tragedy?
- It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused the tragedy that unfolded. Overall, there are a few potential catalysts that may have contributed to Yolanda’s actions. At the time of the incident, Selena and Yolanda had recently been having issues with their husbands.
- Selena was having trouble with her husband, Mario, who was having trouble keeping a steady job. Additionally, Mario was struggling with depression, which was likely related to his job struggles. Yolanda’s husband, Ty, had also recently lost his job, and the two were under financial strain.
- While they were both coping with their husbands’ issues, the two women appeared to be leaning on each other for support. During this period, Selena and Yolanda often spoke about their husbands and tried to offer support to each other. With this in mind, it may be that Selena’s recent problems, as well as her constant reassurance that everything would be okay, may have caused Yolanda to become frustrated and resentful.
Factors That Could Have Driven Yolanda To Kill Selena
- As we explored above, financial stress and relationship issues may have contributed to Yolanda’s actions. However, there are other factors that may have played a role. In particular, it is possible that Yolanda’s paranoia and obsession with cleaning contributed to her decision to commit the crime.
- Psychologists have noted that during the weeks leading up to the tragedy, Yolanda began exhibiting signs of paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She began obsessing over cleanliness, scrubbing the house multiple times a day and insisting that everyone follow extremely strict cleaning procedures.
- This obsession with cleanliness may have been a manifestation of her OCD, which is often characterized by compulsive and ritualistic behavior.
Psychological Aspects Of Yolanda’s Actions
- In many cases like this, the perpetrator is said to be suffering from a brief psychotic episode. A psychotic episode is a period of time when a person experiences a loss of contact with reality.
- This can be caused by a number of things, such as an underlying medical condition or the use of drugs. In Yolanda’s case, it appears that she suffered a psychotic episode brought on by extreme stress.
- It is likely that Yolanda was experiencing a significant amount of stress and pressure in her life, and as a result, she experienced a psychotic break.
- During this psychotic break, Yolanda was no longer able to distinguish between what was real and what was not. As a result, she believed that she needed to clean the house excessively and that Selena was trying to sabotage her mission.
The Aftermath Of The Tragedy
- After she was arrested, Yolanda was taken to a psychiatric hospital where she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She was then transferred to a prison hospital due to her unstable mental state.
- It is difficult to say whether or not Yolanda truly committed the crime intentionally. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that can be traced back to genetics, and there may have been a history of schizophrenia in Yolanda’s family.
- Yolanda’s mental state deteriorated over time, and she eventually lost touch with reality. While she may have been experiencing delusions and paranoid thoughts, she may not have recognized that they weren’t real.
- As the disease progressed, she likely became less and less able to control her actions. From what we know, it appears that Yolanda truly believed that Selena was sabotaging her cleaning efforts and that she had to protect herself.
Conclusion
While it is difficult to determine exactly why Yolanda killed Selena, it is clear that she was experiencing a significant mental breakdown. It is likely that she was not fully aware of what she was doing, and she may not have even been aware that she was taking her best friend’s life. In many cases like this, the perpetrator is not held liable for their actions due to the fact that they are not fully aware of what they are doing.