On the morning of April 21, a protest organized by “Project Name and Shame” called “March for Makayla” took place, gathering over 200 people at the Ventura County Courthouse. 19-year-old Makayla Settles committed suicide on Dec. 22, 2025, following alleged rape by her father, Stephen Vincent Chavez. According to the Moorpark Acorn, Chavez pleaded not guilty to the felony of incest and rape following Settles’ family members pressing charges against him. A court hearing was scheduled to take place at the Ventura County courthouse on April 21 at 8:30 a.m., however, Chavez did not appear at court.
Chavez owns an electrical business and has faced numerous charges, such as incest and supplying alcohol to minors. Following Settles’ suicide attempt, she was placed in an induced coma, where she was pronounced brain dead six days later. On the same day, Chavez was arrested for charges of suspicion of rape. According to Fox 11, the family will continue to push forward with prosecution despite the concerns due to the lack of Settles’ personal testimony.
Through a GoFundMe organized by Settles’ cousin, over 30,000 dollars were raised as of April 23. As stated in the GoFundMe description, “the Ventura County District Attorney has told [the Settles family] that none of [the evidence] can be used because Makayla is no longer here to speak for herself.”
To raise awareness about Settles’ case, her cousin, along with several YouTube creators, have publicly posted about the case with several videos receiving over 300,000 views. Two protestors, Andrea Miranda-Hall and Christian Hall, took interest in the case and decided to get involved in the protest through posting on various social media platforms such as “Nextdoor Neighbor.” Also present at the protest was Settles’ mother and cousin. “It was very emotional. Just to hear the story from their mouths. It’s just that heartbreaking, heartbreaking story,” Andrea Miranda-Hall said.
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