🚨 NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED 🚨
August 22, 2023: Andrea Vazquez: Missing Whittier 19-year-old found dead in Moreno Valley. Andrea Vazquez, who was believed to have been kidnapped from a park in Whittier over the weekend, was found dead in Moreno Valley. One person has been arrested in connection with her death.
ABC7 published August 22, 2023: What we know about the suspect accused of kidnapping, murdering 19-year-old in Whittier. Police said 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza, a Whittier resident, was arrested at his job Monday in the city of Lakewood. He has since been booked into the Whittier Police Department jail on murder and kidnapping charges and is being held without bail. Police called this a random killing.
ABC7 published August 23, 2023: Andrea Vazquez killing: Suspect charged with murder, kidnap, attempted rape. Seven formal charges were filed against 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza -- the son of an L.A. County fire captain -- in connection with the death of Andrea Vazquez. Among the criminal counts were attempted murder, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, and two counts of attempted forcible rape.
FOX 11 Los Angeles published Aug 23, 2023: Andrea Vasquez's family comes face-to-face with her accused killer. The 19-year-old was brutally murdered this week, now her family is seeking justice.
Fox11 News, Los Angeles local
written by FOX 11 Digital Team
Wednesday August 23, 2023
WHITTIER, Calif. - The man accused of kidnapping and murdering Andrea Vazquez from Whittier this week faced a judge for the first time Wednesday, pleading not guilty to the crimes related to the 19-year-old's death.
Gabriel Sean Esparza pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday to seven counts, including attempted murder, kidnapping, assault and attempted rape charges.
Vazquez's family was in court Wednesday, saying they had one goal in mind.
"I want justice for my daughter," said mother Anna Vazquez. "She was just starting her life."
Vazquez was last seen shortly after midnight Sunday, Aug. 20, in the parking area of Penn Park, according to the Whittier Police Department. That's when a witness told police a man came up to the car he and Vazquez were sitting in and started shooting. The witness ran, he told police, and when he came back there was blood and Vazquez was gone.
Vazquez's body was found in Moreno Valley in Riverside County late Monday, after Esparza was arrested earlier in the day.
Attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez is representing Esparza in this case. He said is client is "scared," and is "just beginning to understand what is going on," adding that "Everyone in this case is in shock, and everyone who knows him can't believe that he has been charged with this crime."
Rodriguez called Esparza a good kid from a good family. Esparza's father is a captain the Los Angeles County Fire Department
But sources confirmed to FOX 11 that Esparza's arrest came after an extremely detailed confession, in which Esparza allegedly admitted he didn't know Vazquez or the man she was in the car with when she was abducted, and allegedly attacked them at random.
The complaint alleged that Esparza assaulted Vazquez with the intent to commit rape, sodomy and oral copulation before getting rid of her body. Investigators also believe a rifle belonging to someone in Esparza's home was used for the kidnapping and murder. That rifle was recovered after Esparza was arrested.
"I don't think it's fair that this happened and I don't want this to happen to other girls," Anna Vazquez said. "Please. I want justice."
Esparza is being held without bail. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 25.
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ABC7 News, Los Angeles local
written by Jaysha Patel
Wednesday August 23, 2023
WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- The alleged gunman in the killing of a 19-year-old woman in Whittier has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Seven formal charges were filed against 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza in connection with the death of Andrea Vazquez, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Among the criminal counts were attempted murder, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, and two counts of attempted forcible rape.
Esparza - who is the son of a Los Angeles County fire captain - entered a not-guilty plea at a court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
Vazquez was kidnapped during a shooting at a park over the weekend and was later found dead, authorities said, adding that the attack was believed to be random.
The incident happened near the parking stalls of Whittier's Penn Park just after midnight, early Sunday morning.
According to family members, Vazquez was at the park with her boyfriend when an armed man approached their vehicle and opened fire. Her sister, Edlyn Vazquez, said the boyfriend fled and when he returned, Andrea was gone.
"As he turned his back to ask for help, in that moment, my sister was kidnapped," said Edlyn.
Police said Esparza, a Whittier resident, was arrested at his place of employment Monday in Lakewood. He has booked into the Whittier Police Department jail and was being held without bail.
"At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park," police said in a statement.
The body of Andrea, who was a fashion design student at Fullerton College and worked at a mall in Cerritos, was found late Monday night in a vegetation field off Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley.
"Today is the worst day of my life. We received the news that my daughter died," Andrea's mother, Anna Vazquez, said at a news conference. "We had a lot of hope that she was alive."
Edlyn had said she was able to track Andrea's location for a few minutes shortly after the attack, using Apple's Find My iPhone feature.
"I tracked it to ... going down the 60. I started following it and the location stopped in Moreno Valley, and that's the last known location that I have of her," she said.
A weapon believed to have been used during the crime was recovered, investigators said. Esparza's vehicle, a 2013 white Toyota Tacoma truck, was also found.
More than 100 people attended a memorial vigil in Andrea's honor Tuesday evening at Penn Park.
"I feel wonderful to see all these people who love my daughter," Anna Vazquez said.
A GoFundMe account was created to help Vazquez's family.
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