Andrea Vazquez – latest: LA County fire captain’s son Gabriel Esparza pleads not guilty to teen’s murder
The son of a Los Angeles County fire captain has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and murdering a California woman who was shot and abducted from a park.
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape 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.
Prosecutors have formally filed seven charges against the suspect, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court.
These also include attempted murder, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, and two counts of attempted forcible rape.
Vazquez was randomly kidnapped on Sunday while in a car with her boyfriend in a Whittier park.
While Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in the parked car at Penn Park, 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.
Key points
Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder
Andrea Vasquez was yanked out of a car and shot, police say
Vazquez was 'randomly targeted', police says
Who is the suspect accused of Andrea Vazquez’s murder?
Arrest made in ‘random killing’ of California teen
Andrea Vazquez’s family ‘completely destroyed’ by teen’s murder
16:15 , Andrea Blanco
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.
Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
14:00 , Andrea Blanco
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
Suspect ‘randomly picked someone hanging out at the park,’ police say
12:30 , Andrea Blanco
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.”
Suspect pleads not guilty in first court appearance
11:00 , Andrea Blanco
Gabriel Sean Esparza, the 20-year-old son of a Los Angeles County fire captain, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape 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 afternoon.
Prosecutors have formally filed seven charges against the suspect, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court.
These also include attempted murder, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, and two counts of attempted forcible rape.
ICYMI: California woman shot and kidnapped from boyfriend’s car found dead
09:00 , Andrea Blanco
A California woman who was reportedly shot and abducted from her boyfriend’s car in a park near Los Angeles has been found dead, police have confirmed.
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.
The Independent’s Graeme Massie reports:
California woman shot and kidnapped from boyfriend’s car found dead
Andrea Vazquez was kidnapped while sitting in a car with her boyfriend
06:30 , Andrea Blanco
The horror unfolded just after midnight on Sunday 20 August when Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in a car at Penn Park in Whittier, police said.
Her boyfriend told police that an armed suspect then approached their vehicle and “fired a weapon in their direction,” police said.
Vazquez’s boyfriend fled the scene and when he returned he discovered blood near his car and his girlfriend missing.
Vazquez has been kidnapped from the scene.
Officers were alerted to a shooting and kidnapping incident located at the “parking stalls area” at 13950 Penn Street in Whittier.
Vasquez’s sister, Edlyn, with whom she lives in Los Angeles, put out a plea on Facebook for the public’s help in finding her.
“My sister was shot and kidnapped at Penn Park,” she wrote.
“Her last location shows Moreno Valley. We don’t know her condition. Please I am begging, if anyone has information, or the heart to share this, please please contact me and repost.”
Vazquez’s body was found by police on Monday night. Her family was informed the following day.
Victim’s body found in vegetation field
05:00 , Andrea Blanco
Following Andrea Vazquez’s horror kidnapping, a huge search was launched to try to find the missing 19-year-old.
That search ended in tragedy on Monday 21 August when, at around 11.50pm local time, authorities combing the area of Moreno Valley made a gruesome discovery.
Police said that the teen’s body had been found in a vegetation field off Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley.
The investigation remains ongoing but police said that it appears that the attack on Vazquez and her boyfriend was “randomly targeted”.
Who is Andrea Vazquez’s alleged killer?
03:30 , Andrea Blanco
On Tuesday 22 August, police announced an update on the case as a suspect was taken into custody.
Detectives from the Whittier Police Department and the LADA Community Violence Reduction Team arrested Gabriel Esparza, a 20-year-old man and Whittier resident, in connection with the kidnapping and shooting of Vazquez.
Mr Esparza was taken into custody at his workplace in the city of Lakewood and booked into the Whittier Police Department jail on charges of murder and kidnapping.
He is being held without bail.
During his arrest, officers recovered a weapon and Esparza’s White Toyota Tacoma truck – which are believed to have been used at the time of the shooting.
“This relentless investigation and yesterday’s arrest were made possible by the dedication and commitment of our investigations division, with the assistance of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Downey Police Department, La Habra Police Department and the LADA Investigations Bureau Community Violence Reduction Team,” police said in a statement.
GoFundMe for Andrea Vazquez’s family tops $36,000
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
A GoFundMe for the family of Andrea Vazquez has raised over $20,000 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.
As of Thursday evening, the fundraiser had raised $36,000.
“We appreciate all the love, prayer, and support during this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
WATCH: Andrea Vasquez's family seeks justice
Friday 25 August 2023 00:30 , Andrea Blanco
Andrea Vazquez’s family ‘completely destroyed’ by teen’s murder
Thursday 24 August 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
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.
DA vows to seek justice for Andrea Vazquez
Thursday 24 August 2023 21:30 , Andrea Blanco
“Our hearts ache for the devastating loss of a young life. The heinous nature of this crime, involving the murder, kidnapping and attempted rape of an innocent young woman, shocks our community to its core,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“My office will work tirelessly to hold Gabriel Esparza accountable for his callous actions against Ms. Vasquez and her partner. In these moments of profound sorrow, I send my deepest condolences to Ms. Vasquez’s family as they cope with this painful tragedy.”
Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Thursday 24 August 2023 20:30 , Andrea Blanco
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’s alleged killer enters not-guilty plea
Thursday 24 August 2023 19:34 , Andrea Blanco
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape 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.
Prosecutors have formally filed seven charges against the suspect, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Andrea Vazquez’s family open up about devastating loss
Thursday 24 August 2023 17:23 , Andrea Blanco
“We’ve been here praying with my aunt and my uncle,” 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”
Andrea Vazquez’s GoFundMe tops $34,000
Thursday 24 August 2023 16:20 , Andrea Blanco
A GoFundMe for the family of Andrea Vazquez has raised over $20,000 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.
As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had raised $34,258.
“We appreciate all the love, prayer, and support during this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
Loved ones mourn teen’s senseless death
Thursday 24 August 2023 15:17 , Andrea Blanco
Andrea Vazquez’s family members have opened up about her loss, just days after the teen was kidnapped and shot while on a date with her boyfriend at Penn Park in the city of Whittier.
Vazquez’s body was later found in Moreno Valley.
“It’s a terrible day for me today,” Vazquez’s mother Ana told CBS News. “I had a lot of hope to find her alive, hoping that God gave me the miracle and nothing happened.”
Watch: Vigil held for Andrea Vazquez
Thursday 24 August 2023 14:01 , Graeme Massie
ICYMI: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Thursday 24 August 2023 12:00 , Graeme Massie
The horror unfolded just after midnight on Sunday 20 August when Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in a car at Penn Park in Whittier, police said.
Her boyfriend told police that an armed suspect then approached their vehicle and “fired a weapon in their direction,” police said.
Vazquez’s boyfriend fled the scene and when he returned he discovered blood near his car and his girlfriend missing.
Vazquez has been kidnapped from the scene.
Faiza Saqib reports:
What we know about kidnap and murder of Andrea Vazquez
Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder
Thursday 24 August 2023 10:04 , Graeme Massie
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape.
Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder
Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Thursday 24 August 2023 07:50 , Graeme Massie
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.
What we know about kidnap and murder of Andrea Vazquez
Family is experiencing ‘grief and pain beyond description’
Thursday 24 August 2023 06:03 , Graeme Massie
Officials say that her body was found late on Monday night and that the victim’s family were informed on Tuesday morning.
“This is not the outcome they wanted, but they do realize Whittier Police worked around the clock,” said Moses Castillo, a former LAPD detective and advocate for the family. “Their pain and grief is beyond description.”
The victim was shot and kidnapped from Penn Park in Whittier after she had been sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend.
Vigil held for Andrea Vazquez
Thursday 24 August 2023 04:00 , Ariana Baio
On Tuesday evening, members of the community held a candlelight vigil for 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez who was kidnapped and killed on 20 August.
Friends, family and associates of Vazquez gathered in Penn Park, where she was last seen.
Police say suspect arrested in Vazquez’s death had no connection to her
Wednesday 23 August 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Mr Esparza is facing charges of murder and kidnapping and is currently being held without bail.
“At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park,” Whittier police said in a statement.
Read police’s latest statement on Andrea Vazquez case
Wednesday 23 August 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio
Body of Andrea Vazquez found in vegetation field
Wednesday 23 August 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio
Police in California said that the body of Andrea Vazquez was found in a vegetation field near Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley.
“Throughout the investigation, an ongoing search for Andrea Vazquez took place in large open land areas of Moreno Valley. At 11:50 p.m. on August 21, 2023, detectives located the body of Andrea Vasquez in a vegetation field off Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley,” police said in a statement.
Her body was found after she was kidnapped by a suspect.
Police say Andrea Vazquez was ‘randomly targetted’
Wednesday 23 August 2023 18:40 , Ariana Baio
Authorities in the Whittier Police Department said they believe the suspect who kidnapped and shot Andrea Vazquez was “randomly targetted.”
Vazquez was with her boyfriend in a parked car when the suspect approached them armed with a firearm.
“At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park,” the statement from police read.
Timeline in Andrea Vazquez case
Wednesday 23 August 2023 17:45 , Ariana Baio
20 August
Sometimes after 12am: An armed suspect approaches Andrea Vazquez and a male companion in a parked vehicle in the parking stall of Penn Park. The suspect begins shooting and takes Vazquez.
21 August
3pm: Gabriel Esparza, 20, arrested in connection to the shooting and kidnapping of Vazquez
11.50pm: Detective locate the body of Andrea Vazquez in a field off of Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley
Sister of Andrea Vazquez posts tribute
Wednesday 23 August 2023 17:10 , Ariana Baio
#AndreaVazquez 🤍🕊️ pic.twitter.com/6gVwpNhniJ
— ♍️✨ (@virgh0ul) August 23, 2023
Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?
Wednesday 23 August 2023 16:40 , Ariana Baio
It was a Sunday night and a young couple were sitting together in a car at a park near Los Angeles.
What happened next was something straight out of a horror movie – except this was real life.
A gunman suddenly opened fire on the couple before pulling 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez from the car.
Vazquez’s boyfriend escaped the gunfire but returned to the vehicle to find she had been kidnapped.
After an intensive one-day search, the harrowing incident culminated in despair as Vazquez’s body was found in a field and a suspect – who has no known connection to the couple – was arrested for her murder.
Fazia Saqib reports:
What we know about kidnap and murder of Andrea Vazquez
Local official thanks police and sends prayers to Andrea Vazquez family
Wednesday 23 August 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio
Sister of Andrea Vazquez says she tracked her location after kidnapping
Wednesday 23 August 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio
Edlyn Vazquez, the sister of Andrea Vazquez, said after her sister was kidnapped on Sunday she began tracking her location.
Andrea was the target of a random act of violence when she was suddenly kidnapped from the parking lot of a park in Los Angeles. Andrea’s boyfriend was with her when an armed man approached them and began shooting.
The man took Andrea in his car after the boyfriend fled.
Ms Vazquez told ABC7 that using Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature she tracked her sister’s location.
“I tracked it to... going down the [Route] 60,” Ms Vazquez said. “I started following it and the location stopped in Moreno Valley, and that the last known location that I have of her.”
Authorities found Andrea’s body in a vegetation field in Moreno Valley on Monday night.
Andrea Vazquez case being presented in court today
Wednesday 23 August 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio
Officials from the Whittier Police Department said they expect to present the case of Andrea Vazquez’s death to the Los Angeles County District Attorney today.
Police did not provide any further detail other than the date the case was being presented.
GoFundMe for Andrea Vazquez raises over $20k
Wednesday 23 August 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio
A GoFundMe for the family of Andrea Vazquez has raised over $20,000 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.
As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had raised $22,055.
“We appreciate all the love, prayer, and support during this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
‘We are just trying to process this,’ family say
Wednesday 23 August 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco
“We’ve been here praying with my aunt and my uncle,” 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”
Andrea Vazquez was yanked out of a car and shot
Wednesday 23 August 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco
Officials say that the body was found late on Monday night and that the victim’s family were informed on Tuesday morning.
“This is not the outcome they wanted, but they do realize Whittier Police worked around the clock,” said Moses Castillo, a former LAPD detective and advocate for the family. “Their pain and grief is beyond description.”
The victim was shot and kidnapped from Penn Park in Whittier after she had been sat 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” near it and Ms Vasquez had gone.
Police say suspect arrested in Vazquez’s death had no connection to her
Wednesday 23 August 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco
Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Mr Esparza is facing charges of murder and kidnapping and is currently being held without bail.
“At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park,” Whittier police said in a statement.
Andrea Vazquez studied fashion design and was passionate about cosmetology
Wednesday 23 August 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
Vasquez was a fashion design student at Fullerton College and also worked at a mall in Cerritos.
Emily Martinez, a relative of Vazquez, told Fox News Digital before her body was found on Monday that the 19-year-old had been working with her sister Edlyn, who is a lash artist.
Ms Martinez had described Vazquez as a “beautiful person” who was liked by everyone who met her.
Murder investigation will be presented to DA’s office on Wednesday
Wednesday 23 August 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco
Whittier police said evidence suggested Vazquez’s kidnapping and shooting was random.
A weapon was recovered from the scene and officials are searching Mr Esparza’s car for evidence.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday.
Andrea Vazquez's sister managed to track her location, she says
Wednesday 23 August 2023 09:15 , Stuti Mishra
Shortly after 20-year-old Andrea Vazquez was attacked and kidnapped, her sister Edlyn managed to track her location using the Apple’s Find My iPhone feature and began following it.
However, she soon 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.
WATCH: Andrea Vazquez’s family had issued desperate pleas before tragic developments on Tuesday
Wednesday 23 August 2023 08:30 , Stuti Mishra
Before Vazquez’s body was found on Monday night, her family pleaded with the public for information regarding her whereabouts.
All we know about Gabriel Esparza, the main suspect in Andrea Vazquez's death
Wednesday 23 August 2023 07:30 , Stuti Mishra
Whitter Police Department say that they have arrested 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza as the main suspect in the case and charged him with murder and kidnapping.
Police said Mr Esparza, a Whittier resident, was arrested at his job on Monday in the city of Lakewood. He has since been booked into the Whittier Police Department and is being held without bail.
So far no motive has been discovered and officials believe Andrea Vazquez was "randomly targeted".
Investigators have recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the slaying, as well as the suspect’s vehicle, a 2013 White Toyota Tacoma truck, was also recovered.
Police say that the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday.
What happened to Andrea Vazquez? All we know so far
Wednesday 23 August 2023 06:46 , Stuti Mishra
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.
‘We are just trying to process this,’ family say
Wednesday 23 August 2023 06:00 , Stuti Mishra
“We’ve been here praying with my aunt and my uncle,” 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”
