The mother of slain University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts opened up her home to the teenage son of Mexican immigrants who worked with the man suspected of killing her daughter and left the small town because they feared it was unsafe.
Laura Calderwood took in Ulises Felix, 17, after his parents left Brooklyn, Iowa, according to the Washington Post. The man accused of killing 20-year-old Tibbetts, Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, worked with Felix’s parents at a dairy farm in the small town. Felix said his mother cooked for Rivera and his cousin dated the suspect. Rivera and Felix’s cousin, Iris Monarrez, had a daughter together but separated later.
After Rivera was arrested, Felix’s parents wanted to leave, fearing the town was unsafe. Felix wanted to finish up school in the town and Tibbett’s brother, Scott, offered to let him stay with him.
“Live here,” Scott told Felix. “We got an extra room.”
When her son asked her if Felix could live with them, Calderwood said she thought of Mollie and what she would do.
Calderwood said she was not aware of Felix’s relationship with Rivera. Felix told Calderwood that Rivera was sending money to his family to help them build a house and that he had family in the U.S.- READ MORE