Second and last part of the note published yesterday, May 7, with the name Who killed Francisco?, a father of eight children.
In the mystery surrounding the death of Francisco Núñez, who was found dead on March 14, under some dry bushes, residents of the 44000 block of Division Street, in Lancaster, claim that, if the body had been there for three or five days, it would have been easy to see.
Francisco’s body was found just 500 meters from where he had been chased by agents from the Lancaster Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, in the early hours of March 9. The semi-desert area is covered with tumbleweeds or dry western balls.
“Some families told me that they pass by that place every day when they take their children to school,” said Cindy Núñez, the deceased’s sister. “It is almost impossible that no one has seen the body lying there for five days since my brother disappeared.”
Cadaveric rigidity
Forensic investigator Robert Fierro unofficially assured Francisco Núñez’s relatives that the 38-year-old gang member and father of eight children did not die in the place where the sheriffs found him, but somewhere else and that the body was moved twice.
“[Robert Fierro] He explained to us that when he came to see Francisco’s body, he had been dead for between 10 and 12 hours,” stated Cindy Núñez. It was March 14, five days after he disappeared.
Supposedly, rigor mortis or cadaveric rigidity confirmed it. It was 9:13 on March 14 when Núñez’s time of death was made official, but he was not officially identified until March 23.
“I told Fierro that, according to a witness who called 911, [el cuerpo] He was there [en el lugar donde encontraron el cadáver] for three days,” said the sister.
“Three days?” replied the forensic investigator.
“How is it possible that if someone looks at a lying body and claims that it has been there for three days, why didn’t they call the police from the first day?” asks Cindy Núñez.
The forensic expert added verbally and off the record: “I guarantee, in my years of experience in this, your brother was not there for three days; When I arrived, he had passed away between 10 and 12 hours [previamente]”.
Recognition was made based on the stage of rigor mortis or rigidity of death of a body.
Forced to fight?
“[Robert Fierro] He said that the body also had signs of having suffered an altercation, which indicated that he had been in a fight where he was identified by his tattoos,” Núñez said.
In a photograph given to La Opinión, traces of blood can be seen on the knuckles of Francisco’s hands.
“Fierro assured me that my brother Francisco did not die there; that there was no way to prove it and that Francisco’s body was put there [en el lugar] and then moved by the same people who put it there and moved it again. According to Fierro, they transferred him twice,” Núñez explained.
Francisco’s sister said that the forensic investigator looked at the documents that specified that the 911 call had been made around 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
“We will never know the real time of his death,” the forensic investigator told Cindy.
“He said that he was ruled out as a homeless person because [el cuerpo del occiso] “He seemed “too clean” to be a homeless person,” Núñez added.
Natural death?
The forensic expert added that there was no way to say how Francisco died.
However, he later proceeded to show Cindy Núñez photographs of the crime scene and Fierro assured that the body had been moved.
“He told me he was a little upset, but he was still [Francisco] “It had the same color as his skin and he ruled out that he could have died of an overdose,” the sister added.
In the official report from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), authorities said that on March 19, “an autopsy was performed on Mr. Núñez. “The medical examiner found no obvious signs of trauma on Mr. Núñez.”
“The cause of death has been deferred pending receipt of toxicology results. This case is being handled as a death investigation [natural]”.
Forensic investigator Robert Fierro did not confirm or deny to Real America News each of the statements made by Cindy Núñez, who also works for Los Angeles County.
Shot and handcuffed?
In the photographs provided by Cindy Núñez to La Opinión, marks of lead shot similar to rubber bullets fired from a gun can be seen on one hand.
In the abdominal area of Francisco Núñez’s body there are bruised areas and on the wrist of one hand, possible marks that he was handcuffed by someone before dying.
Images of the knuckles of the now deceased’s right hand show traces of blood.
“He was probably forced to fight someone,” Cindy Nunez said.
Harassment
Cindy Núñez provided videos and photographs to La Opinión about the constant patrolling of the Lancaster sheriffs at the victim’s parents’ home, since Francisco’s body was found.
Sheriffs were captured on the house’s video camera, in which they appear knocking on the door and parking their patrol cars morning, afternoon or night, without anyone from the neighborhood having requested their presence.
“On March 19, I discussed my concerns with Sergeant Wolf and the allegations regarding the death of my brother, and the beating that the sheriffs gave to Eric Guzmán,” said Cindy Núñez. “He told me that he would monitor the complaint and send it to a lieutenant.”
Later, in a telephone conversation on April 4, Cindy Nunez filed a harassment complaint with Lt. Melanie Rivers and Sergeant Hicks.
With them he shared the story of his brother and the experiences of intimidation suffered by his family since March 14.
Rivers reported that Sergeant Wolf or Captain Paul R. Bartlett would follow up on his complaint regarding the death of Francisco Núñez. The next day, the complaint reached Lt. Diaz for further review.
Cindy Núñez also filed an online complaint with the LASD Internal Affairs office regarding the death of Francisco and the beating of Eric Guzmán, one of the two arrested early on March 9, following a chase by Lancaster sheriffs.
Statement before Robert Luna
Subsequently, Cindy Núñez held a meeting with a team from the Sheriff’s Constitutional Police office.
Additionally, he appeared personally before the members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Committee: Sean Kennedy, Ham R. Hicks, Robert Bonner, Irma Hagans Cooper, Luis S. García, Patricia Giggans and Hans Johnson.
Cindy shared a public statement of the family impact of the death of her brother Francisco. Sheriff’s Chief Robert Luna was present virtually.
“When we first heard, for [parte de] members of the Antelope Valley community about this incident [la muerte de Francisco Núñez]we immediately wanted to make sure that the appropriate people within our department are investigating it,” Sheriff Luna said.
“Our homicide department is investigating. As far as I know, I won’t go into much detail in this public forum, but we have been communicating directly with Fr. [de Francisco Núñez]”.
“We are constantly communicating with them; our homicide department has done it,” said Sheriff Luna. “I have ordered that [la oficina de] homicides be as transparent as possible with them.”
Revealing data
According to Cindy Núñez, on May 2, Dr. Sami Souccar, deputy medical examiner at the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, explained to her that he found bruises on Francisco’s body and abrasions on his wrists. [lesiones superficiales que no llegan a perforar completamente la piel].
“Dr. Souccar agreed that they were because of the handcuffs” they put on Francisco.
Dr. Souccar also allegedly said that “Francis was not there [debajo de unos arbustos] for five days in those tumbleweeds, and he confirmed to me that my brother was in a fight before he died.” Forensic examiner Robert Fierro had reached the same conclusion.
Likewise, the deputy medical examiner described to Cindy Núñez that, although he could not say exactly how her brother Francisco died, “methamphetamine was found in his blood, but he could not tell me the exact amount.” [de metanfetamina] in his body.”
Who killed Francisco?, a father of eight children – part one