My name is Grace Peña, and I’m a survivor of a violent, life-threatening assault that nearly ended my life.

I did everything I was supposed to do—I filed a police report, gave a full statement, and submitted evidence of my injuries. But my case was closed by the Lubbock Police Department due to “lack of witnesses.”

My attacker, Destini, used a lethal Marine combat technique intended to push my nose bone into my brain—a move meant to kill instantly. She also tried to gouge out my eyes. This was not a fight. This was a calculated, brutal attempt on my life.

The detective said it “seemed like a back-and-forth situation.”

But how is me telling the truth about nearly being killed the same as going “back and forth”?

I wasn’t arguing. I wasn’t fighting. I was scared, trying to defend myself and hold Destini McWilliams accountable—while she lied to the detective and manipulated the story.

That’s not back and forth. That’s one person surviving, and the other hiding behind lies.

I struggle with social anxiety, and I believe that’s part of why I wasn’t taken seriously. I wasn’t loud or aggressive—I was traumatized. I tried to speak up through fear and confusion, while Destini confidently twisted the facts and was taken more seriously.

The truth is, Destini had been targeting me long before the attack:

She falsely accused me of stealing her vape and took my makeup in retaliation—only to later find the vape. I don’t even smoke nicotine.

My boyfriend told me she was jealous of me, but I never believed it. I thought she was beautiful. I’ve always had low self-esteem.

He said she cried when I wore a red dress because it made her feel insecure.

She asked him to tell me not to wear makeup around her.

She became upset when her boyfriend liked my cooking.

I never wanted conflict. I truly hoped we could be friends. I tried to keep the peace while she made me feel small.

At one point, she got into an argument with my boyfriend—an argument I had nothing to do with—and told me she wanted to fight me because of it. Later, she asked me to come out of the room and said she was going to fight me. But when she saw me crying, scared and confused, she said she changed her mind.

I believe she just wanted to break me down emotionally before she attacked.

I remember asking her while she was beating me:

“Why do you hate me?”

I genuinely didn’t understand the level of hatred behind her actions. And I never got an answer.

I reported everything. I gave my statement. I submitted photos. But the system failed me—because my assault happened behind closed doors, because I wasn’t the “perfect victim,” because no one saw it.

But just because no one saw it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

I’m still here. I’m still healing. And I deserve justice.

I’m asking the Lubbock Police Department and local officials to reopen my case and investigate this for what it truly was: attempted murder. This was not “just a fight.” It was a violent, intentional act of harm—and it cannot be ignored.

Please sign and share this petition to help demand accountability. Not just for me, but for every survivor who’s ever been silenced, dismissed, or denied justice.

With hope,

Grace Peña