Earlier this week, a female soldier was killed at Fort Hood, the same Texas Army base where Vanessa Guillen was killed three years ago, officials said.
Combat Engineer Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz died on the base Monday, Fort Hood said in a news release.
Basaldua Ruiz, 20, who hails from Long Beach, California, joined the Army in July 2021 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division from December that year.
Officials did not say how he died but said the circumstances were being investigated.
The base said the chain of command is in contact with Basaldua Ruiz’s family and is providing support and resources to his family and those who worked with him.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of PV2 Ana Basaldua Ruiz, and we extend our sympathies to her father, mother, and sister,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, commander of the 91st Engineer Battalion. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him during this difficult time. She was an extraordinary companion who will be truly missed.
Fort Hood shared an update Thursday, saying the Army’s Department of Criminal Investigation confirmed that “at this point the investigation into the death of Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz is not apparent any wrongdoing, And it will remain under investigation.”
The base said in the statement, “Army CID will continue to conduct a thorough investigation and gather all evidence and facts to establish what exactly happened. Any potential harassment information will be addressed and fully investigated.” Will be investigated.”
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held a news conference Friday at the main gate of Fort Hood demanding an FBI investigation into Basaldua Ruiz’s death.
LULAC leaders said the soldier’s parents said their daughter had repeatedly complained of sexual assault by other service members, including one of her superiors.
“For the military to say there was no foul play assumes facts that have not yet been brought forth. For the military to say there was no foul play is to the concerns of the father and mother of Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz. One per se would not indicate tone deafness, who said she was the target of alleged sexual assault — repeated and persistent sexual assault by other service members that she reported, said David Cruz, LULAC’s director of communications. for him and including an immediate superior.”
Fort Hood was placed under intense scrutiny after 20-year-old soldier Guillen disappeared from the military base in Bell County on April 22, 2020.
Her family organized rallies outside the base and started a #FindVanessaGuillen hashtag social media campaign.
Two months later, partial human remains were found on the banks of the Leon River in Belton and identified as those of Guillén.
Authorities determined that the soldier suspected of killing Guillén was SPC. Aaron Robinson, who fatally shot himself, as police moved in to arrest him. Cecily Aguilar, a woman authorities say was Robinson’s girlfriend, pleaded guilty last November to federal charges, accusing her of helping dispose of Guillén’s body and lying to investigators.
Before she went missing, Guillén had told her family that she had been sexually assaulted by a supervisor.
Her story led to another social media campaign in which survivors of sexual abuse and harassment in the military shared their stories online using the #IAmVanessaGuillén hashtag and called for change.
An independent review following his death found that the command environment at Fort Hood created a “permissive environment for sexual harassment and assault”. Several investigations launched after Guillén’s death led to the removal of 14 Aadhaar leaders in December 2020.
His death also inspired legal reforms to help and protect victims of sexual assault in the military.
Key parts of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act became law in December 2021, including criminalizing sexual assault under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, reforming the way certain officers respond to sex-related crimes through independent investigations, and Including rescinding the decision to prosecute in sexual misconduct cases. From the chain of command of service members.