EDINBURG – A motive was revealed about what may have led to last week’s triple murder-suicide in Edinburg.

On Dec. 6, four days prior to the murders, 19-year-old Rebecca Lee Cantu arrived to the Edinburg Police Department to a file a report against her mother’s boyfriend, Saul Ramon Avila, claiming he had continually sexually abused her, but then, she retreated. Police had urged her to come back to the station.

In a press conference Wednesday, Chief Cesar Torres detailed the incidents that took place before the Dec. 10 crime.

Cantu told officers on Friday, Dec. 6 Avila was abusing her. According to Torres, the mother, Magdalena Cantu, not only knew of the sexual relationship, but allowed it since Rebecca was 14 years old.

Rebecca filed a police report, but didn’t actually press charges. She left to go to a doctor’s appointment for her child, who is the toddler found at the apartment.

Torres said multiple attempted were made to contact her and explain why they needed her to finish the report.

“The possibility of escalation issues is always there. Although we hope that things get better, people might get scared and stop the violence. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Sometimes it escalates. So, it's on a case by case basis,” stated Torres.

Even though the report was left incomplete, on Dec. 6, Child Protective Services had started an investigation. Torres said CPS investigators did show up at Rebecca’s home. They told Magdalena that her boyfriend, Avila, was no longer allowed inside the home.

According to relative, Avila was outraged.

On Monday, Dec. 9, police tried reaching out to Rebecca, but no one answer the call. By Tuesday morning, the nurse who showed up to attend to the toddler called to report the crime.