The man accused of kidnapping and murdering a 19-year-old girl in Whittier over the weekend pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Gabriel Esparza, 20, is accused of shooting Andrea Vázquez for no reason early Sunday morning, taking her away and later leaving the body in a lonely spot in Moreno Valley.
Esparza is being held without bail and the superior court in downtown Los Angeles still has no date for his next appearance.
The case filed by the county district attorney confirms findings by the Whittier Police Department: Andrea Vázquez and her boyfriend, both 19, were in a car shortly after midnight from Saturday to Sunday in a Whittier park. when Esparza, at the time a stranger to them, approached them and fired at them.
Andrea’s boyfriend fled the scene – he later said he had gone looking for help – and when the young man returned minutes later, he found blood near the steering wheel of the car and Andrea Vázquez had disappeared.
Whittier police spokesman Tommy Mattsson told La Opinión that his department presented the results of its investigation to the district attorney’s office. The investigation led to Esparza attacking the young couple for no reason, kidnapping Andrea, killing her and later leaving the body of the young woman..
The murder of the young woman “was completely a random act of violence,” the officer confirmed; “They had no connection or affiliation; the suspect randomly chose a couple that was in the park and committed the homicide.”
The death of the young Fullerto College student has caused shock among her relatives and those who knew her.
“We don’t know this boy (Gabriel Esparza),” said Andrea’s father, Enrique Vázquez, notably dismayed, “we have nothing to do with him and we don’t understand why he did this to my daughter.”
With difficulty speaking between sobs, Don Enrique exclaimed that “this is a pain that I do not wish on anyone, I cannot bear it.”
Andrea Vázquez’s mother, Mrs. Anna Vázquez, remembered her daughter as a young woman who “was very responsible, especially with school, she was always doing her homework, preparing her classes; she had her relationship, with her boyfriend, she felt very happy, ”said the lady.
The lady said that she had prayed and pleaded for her daughter to show up the night before. She said that if the kidnapper saw her on the television news, she would ask him “to leave her in a hospital, to leave her where we found her, but to return her.” But on Tuesday around noon the authorities arrived at her house to report that they had found the body of her daughter.
Mr. Moisés Castillo, who helps the Vázquez family as a spokesperson, narrated that Andrea and her boyfriend decided to park in the vicinity of Penn Park in Whittier to spend some time, attentive to the fact that tropical storm Hilary would arrive shortly after.
“They got out of the car, he opened the trunk so that the two of them could sit there to talk and take in the scenery, and the next thing that happens is that a white pickup approaches and they both hear a bang,” Castillo said.
Both young people reacted, but while the boyfriend ran, “Andrea stopped because she saw that she had blood that had spilled and she was scared, she stayed to check if she was hurt.” At that moment, Esparza pointed to the boyfriend, who ran for help, but the only people nearby were another couple who also fled to safety.
“The boyfriend did not leave because he was waiting to see what was happening with Andrea,” there were no more shots, “and when (the boyfriend) saw that the pickup was leaving, he went back to look for Andrea, but she was no longer there.” It was when the boyfriend discovered that there was blood near the car on the driver’s side, as if the young woman tried to get in and start the car to get away from her.
Andrea’s sister, Edlyn Vázquez, wrote on social networks: “My beautiful angel, I am completely devastated. I have no words to describe this pain. I love you with all my heart and with all my soul. Until we meet again, my beautiful baby, Rest In Peace.”
For its part, Fullerton College “is devastated to learn the news about Andrea Vázquez. We extend our condolences to her parents, family and friends of hers,” Cynthia Olivo, president of Fullerton College, said in a statement.