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Her friends described 18-year-old Andrea Eleni Nassos of Stone Mountain as compassionate, strong, spunky and very, very nice.

“She had a hard time saying no to people,” said Sarra Berhane, one of Nassos’ best friends. “It really bothered her.”

Nassos, a former Tucker High School student who transferred to Faith Academy, loved tennis, paintballing, shopping at thrift stores, and was very proud of her Greek heritage, Berhane said.

An 18-year-old man and his father have been arrested in connection with the death of Nassos, whose badly burned body was found in her car on May 20.

Gwinnett County police believe that Boris Mejia, of Tucker, killed Nassos in her apartment on LaVista Road in DeKalb County.

According to police, Mejia, a friend of Nassos, then tried to bury her body at the home of Ignacio Mejia, 50, his father.

“Boris then moved Nassos’ body and her vehicle to Lucky Shoals Park, where he set the vehicle on fire,” according to a press release. A Gwinnett County police officer conducting a routine check of the park discovered the smoldering car parked in the back parking lot.

“The body was very damaged by fire,” said Cpl. Jake Smith, a public information officer for the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Police said Ignacio Mejia then drove his son to Houston, after the arson.

The Houston Police Department located Boris Mejia and took him into custody without incident. Arrangements are being made to transfer him to Georgia to face charges.

“The investigation in Houston revealed further probable cause to believe that Boris was responsible for the homicide,” according to the press release.

The Gwinnett County Police Department has charged Boris and Ignacio Mejia with tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. 

The pending homicide case against Boris Mejia is being turned over to authorities in DeKalb County, where the alleged homicide occurred.

“I will always remember Andrea as a focused, driven, compassionate young woman who was full of energy and life,” Delynn Aycock wrote in an online guestbook for Nassos’ obituary. “As a teacher, I highly admired Andrea’s desire to pursue her education, career, and her dreams.”

Paige Camp of Tucker wrote, “I have wonderful memories of Andrea as a strong, articulate, and creative young lady. She was a great girl and I feel fortunate to have taught her.”

“Andrea was a joy, and it was a privilege to teach her,” wrote Renee Duffy, of Tucker. “I remember her sunny disposition, her spunk, [and] her dancing at the Greek Festival.”

Nassos is survived by her parents, Peter and Georgia Nassos, and two sisters, Eftyhia and Christina.

Nassos, who worked for Kohl’s department store in Northlake Mall and at Moe’s Pizza, “was very, very, very hard working and dedicated,” Berhane said.

Another friend, Maria Coronado, said Nassos “was everyone’s friend.

“She was a very good friend who didn’t deserve this,” Coronado said.