Mother Asks Community To Wear Pink To Honor Her Daughter Found Dead In Newark

Community members are encouraged to wear pink today in honor of a Pleasanton teen who was found dead in Newark last week.

Police found the bodies of a 17-year-old Pleasanton girl and a 24-year-old Livermore man in a second floor room at the E-Z 8 Motel Friday morning.

The couple had sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities are investigating the incident as either a murder-suicide or double suicide. However, Newark police told the Fremont Argus that it may take weeks to determine the cause of death and several months to sort out what took place.

Though authorities did not release the identities of the victims, family and friends confirmed that the teenage victim was Patricia Martin, a 17-year-old girl reported missing as a runaway on Sept. 10.

Patricia’s mother, Kathy Martin, posted on Facebook that her daughter was last seen with James Cole, also known as James Shanelec, a 24-year-old from Livermore. He was driving a white two-door Honda with a sunroof, she said.

A vehicle similar to the one Martin described was surrounded with police tape in the motel’s parking lot Friday.

Martin announced on Facebook yesterday that today would be "Pink Day" in Patricia's honor.

Patricia’s school, Village High School in Pleasanton, also began offering grief counseling services at the school.

An anonymous student support hotline for the Pleasanton Unified School District can be reached at 925-417-5199.

Anyone with possible information related to this case is encouraged to call the Newark Police Department at 510-578-4237 or the Pleasanton Police Department at 925-931-5100.

Suicide prevention resources

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website, there are 36,000 suicide deaths in the U.S. every year. These can be prevented, the organization says.

Some of the warning signs of suicide are "serious depression, increased use of drugs or alcohol, unnecessary risk-taking, making threats of suicide and making a plan," according to the foundation.

If you know someone who is showing the warning signs of suicide, reportingonsuicide.org recommends not leaving the person alone. It says you should “remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt” and call U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

There are many options for those seeking help.

• Anyone in crisis can go to any hospital emergency room for help.
• Hotlines are available such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK.
• Suicide prevention websites are available 24-hours-a-day.
• Call 911 if you are experiencing a mental health emergency