ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Miya Marcano’s story has touched many people, especially those who have found themselves in similar situations of harassment or stalking.

“There are no words to convey how sick and devastated I felt,” Wanda Brewer Ickes of Orlando told Spectrum News 13 about hearing the news of Marcano's death. 

Marcano was found dead on Oct. 2, just days after Orange County Sheriff Office's only person of interest, 27-year-old Armando Caballero, was found dead of an apparent suicide.

Marcano's family has said he was obsessed with her, despite her consistently rebuffing his advances.

Brewer Ickes sees parallels in her own daughter’s story. Like Marcano, her daughter faced unwanted romantic advances from a man — she says it was a friend of a friend who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“(My daughter) was kind but firm that she was interested in someone else,” Brewer Ickes said. “But that didn’t stop him from going after what he wanted.”

Brewer Ickes says the Victim Service Center of Central Florida (VSC), which helps the victims of crime and trauma, saved her daughter’s life.

“If it makes someone feel unsafe, then they can get help for that,” said VSC program director Joellen Revell.

Revell said whether a person is dealing with a stalker, harasser or someone just not taking no for an answer, advocates are there to help.

“(Advocates) ask them questions about events that’ve occurred, things that they have felt and the sequence of events could help them understand their vulnerabilities," she said. "And it could also help them understand and do a safety plan for themselves.”

Brewer Ickes encouraged anyone being stalked or harassed to tell a trusted loved one and call an organization like VSC.

“Err on the side of being too cautious, if there’s such a thing,” she said. “Sounding the alarm. There’s no going back if you don’t listen to your gut.”

The Victim Service Center has a 24/7 helpline: 407-500-HEAL. Services include crisis response and therapy, and all services are free and confidential.