Andrea Vazquez – latest: Murder suspect Gabriel Esparza’s attorney says he’s scared as DA vows to seek justice
Authorities say Whittier teen was ‘randomly targeted’ before being found dead in Moreno Valley
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The suspect in Andrea Vazquez’s kidnapping and murder is reportedly “scared” after being hit with multiple felonies.
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with murder, kidnapping and attempted rape in connection with the death of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez. Mr Esparza entered a not-guilty plea when he made his first court appearance for the brutal slaying on Wednesday.
Vazquez was randomly kidnapped while on a date with her boyfriend at Penn Park in Whittier.
While Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in the parked car, an armed man approached them and began shooting. Vazquez’s boyfriend fled the scene and when he returned, he “discovered blood” near it and Vazquez was gone.
Vazquez’s body was found the following day in Moreno Valley.
Mr Esparza’s attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez told FOX11 that the 20-year-old was “scared.”
“Everyone in this case is in shock, and everyone who knows him can’t believe that he has been charged with this crime,” Mr Rodriguez told the network in a statement, adding that Mr Esparza is “just beginning to understand what is going on.”
Suspect ‘randomly picked someone hanging out at the park,’ police say
Police arrested Gabriel Esparza in connection with Andrea Vazquez’s death.
“This was a completely random act of violence, there is nothing to suggest that there was any kind of affiliation.” Whittier Police Department public information officer Thomas Mattson told Fox 11.
“The suspect just randomly picked someone who was hanging out at the park and committed this heinous act.”
Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Andrea Vazquez was with her boyfriend at a California park when a gunman ambushed them and kidnapped the teen. The desperate search to save her has now ended in tragedy.
The Independent’s Faiza Saqib reports:
What we know about kidnap and murder of Andrea Vazquez
Andrea Vazquez was with her boyfriend at a California park when a gunman ambushed them and kidnapped the teen. The desperate search to save her has now ended in tragedy. Faiza Saqib reports
Andrea Vazquez’s family ‘completely destroyed’ by teen’s murder
Vazquez’s sister Edlyn Vazquez posted a tribute for the slain teen on Thursday.
“My sweet angel ... I’m completely destroyed. Words cannot describe this pain,” Ms Vaquez wrote on Facebook. “I love you with all my heart and my soul ... Until we meet again beautiful baby.”
Ms Vazquez had led public pleas for her sister’s safe return after she was kidnapped and shot over the weekend.
Vazquez’s remains were found by the Whitter Police Department in Moreno Valley on Monday night.
Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape.
Andrea Vazquez’s family thanks community for support
“We’ve been here praying with my aunt and my uncle,” Diana Ortiz, a cousin of Vazquez, told FOX11 on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we were notified of Andrea being found. We are devastated. My uncle and my aunt are heartbroken. We have good strong family support so we are just here trying to process this, it’s hard. She was our baby cousin, just 19 years old. Such a senseless act, it shouldn’t have happened”
Victim’s body was found in Moreno Valley on Monday night
The body of Andrea Vazquez, 19, was discovered in an open field in Moreno Valley, not far from where her family say her phone last pinged and they found traces of blood.
Officials say that her body was found late on Monday night and that the victim’s family were informed on Tuesday morning.
The victim was shot and kidnapped from Penn Park in Whittier after she had been sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend.
Investigators say that the boyfriend fled the gunfire and when he returned to the vehicle he “discovered blood” nearby and Ms Vazquez gone.
Whittier Police Department say that they have arrested 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza as a suspect in the case and charged him with murder and kidnapping.
So far there is no motive discovered behind the attack and officials believe she was “randomly targeted”.
Vazquez was a fashion design student at Fullerton College and also worked at a mall in Cerritos.
Andrea Vazquez’s sister opens up about devastating loss
Vazquez’s sister Edlyn Vazquez posted a tribute for the slain teen on Thursday.
“My sweet angel ... I’m completely destroyed. Words cannot describe this pain,” Ms Vaquez wrote on Facebook. “I love you with all my heart and my soul ... Until we meet again beautiful baby.”
Ms Vazquez had led public pleas for her sister’s safe return after she was kidnapped and shot over the weekend.
Vazquez’s remains were found by the Whitter Police Department in Moreno Valley on Monday night.
WATCH: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Andrea Vazquez’s sister managed to track her location following kidnapping
Shortly after 20-year-old Andrea Vazquez was attacked and kidnapped, her sister Edlyn managed to track her location using Apple’s Find My iPhone feature and began following it.
However, she lost it a few minutes later.
“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, according to ABC7.
Vazquez was later found dead in an open field in Moreno Valley, not far from where Edlyn said she tracked her location and the family found traces of blood.
GoFundMe for Andrea Vazquez raises over $39k
A GoFundMe for the family of Andrea Vazquez has raised over $39,000 in memory of the 19-year-old who was the victim of a random violent act.
“I am asking all our friends and family to help my family with the tragic loss of our beautiful Andrea,” the GoFundMe creator, Diana Ortiz, wrote in the description.
“We appreciate all the love, prayer, and support during this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”