Gabriel Esparza, Whittier, California man arrested in the abduction and murder of missing 19 year old teen, Andrea Vazquez. Victim had been sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend near Penn Park. No known motive.
‘It’s a pain nobody deserves.’ A missing 19 year old California teen has been found dead following a random attack while she sat in a vehicle with her boyfriend over the weekend.
Andrea Vazquez‘s body was found in a vegetation field off Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley, California, around 11:50am Tuesday, Whittier Police said.
The suspect, identified as Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, of Whittier, was arrested in connection to the case hours before they found Vazquez’s remains. Whittier police said the man was arrested without incident at his job in Lakewood. He was booked on charges of murder and kidnapping and was being held without bail.
Randomly targeted
Police said a weapon believed to have been used in the crime was recovered, as well as Esparza’s vehicle, a 2013 white Toyota Tacoma truck.
It appears that Vazquez and her boyfriend were ‘randomly targeted’ by the suspect at Penn Park, Whittier police said in a news release.
There appears to be no connection between the accused shooter and victim, Whittier Officer Thomas Mattsson told NBC Los Angeles.
Authorities have yet to unearth how or why the aspiring fashion designer came to be targeted.
The shooting happened in the parking area of Penn Park shortly after midnight on Sunday, officials said.
‘An adult male witness reported that while at the park with an adult female companion, an armed suspect approached their vehicle and fired a weapon in their direction,’ police said in a statement.
‘It’s a pain nobody deserves,’
‘That same witness told police he ran from the car, and when he came back he found blood, and Vazquez missing.’
Her family was hoping for a safe return before the tragic discovery.
‘It’s a pain nobody deserves,’ her mother Anna told KCLA. ‘She was my everything.’
The victims’ sister, Edlyn Vazquez told ABC7 the witness was Vazquez’s boyfriend, who took off , ‘seeking help’ when the armed man approached. When he returned, Vazquez was gone.
‘As he turned his back to ask for help, in that moment, my sister was kidnapped,‘ Edlyn said.
‘It’s hard to get rest, it just feels guilty to even sleep,’ Edlyn said. ‘She’s a homebody. She was my best friend.’
No known motive
The fashion design student at Fullerton College also worked at a mall in Cerritos.
Veronica Becerra, Vazquez’s aunt, told KTLA on Tuesday that the family was devastated by the news of her death.
‘She was an angel. I am left only with her smile and her face,’ Becerra said.
The murder suspect was being held without bail. The case will be turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. Whittier is about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
‘Detectives are not disclosing any additional details at this time because the investigation is ongoing,’ Whittier police said.
No known motive for the alleged kidnapping and murder was immediately known.
