A horrifying incident unfolded in California when a young woman, Andrea Vazquez, 19, was kidnapped and shot while on a date with her boyfriend. The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday in Whittier’s Penn Park, roughly 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
The Whittier Police Department apprehended the suspect, Gabriel Esparza, 20, at his workplace in Lakewood, California, on Monday afternoon. Esparza is facing charges of murder and kidnapping. Late Monday night, Vazquez’s body was found in an open field in Moreno Valley, the last known location of her phone, near Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street.
The police believe that Vazquez and her boyfriend were randomly targeted by Esparza at Penn Park. The investigators have yet to reveal the motive behind this brutal crime. The police have secured the weapon used in the shooting and Esparza’s white Toyota Tacoma truck.
On the fateful night, Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting on the trunk of his car in the park’s parking area when Esparza allegedly started shooting, Vazquez’s sister, Edlyn, told the Los Angeles Times. Vazquez’s boyfriend managed to escape the scene, but when he returned, Vazquez had disappeared, leaving behind a trail of blood near the car.
After learning about the incident, Edlyn Vazquez used a tracking app on her sister’s phone to locate her. She noticed the phone was moving along the 60 Freeway toward Riverside. Despite her attempts to follow the signal, she and a friend lost it in Moreno Valley. Upon reaching the location, they discovered blood at the scene. The police launched a comprehensive search involving drones and canines, which was temporarily halted due to Tropical Storm Hilary.
Vazquez’s body was later discovered not far from where her sister had last tracked her phone. Moses Castillo, a family advocate, expressed the family’s profound grief and acknowledged the tireless efforts of the Whittier Police. Vazquez, remembered fondly by a relative as the “funniest person ever,” had dreamt of a career in cosmetology. Esparza is set to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday to face the charges.