SoCal woman who was kidnapped from park during shooting is found dead in field
08/23/2023 11:26 am PDT
WHITTIER, Calif. (TCD) -- A 20-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly killing a woman who was kidnapped at a park during a shooting over the weekend.
On Sunday, Aug. 20, at around midnight, 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez and a male were sitting in a car at Penn Park in Whittier. A man approached the car and shot at them. According to Whittier Police, the male fled, and when he got back, Vazquez was gone. He also reportedly saw blood in the vicinity of his car.
KTLA-TV reports the male in the car is Vasquez's boyfriend.
One day after the kidnapping, at around 3 p.m., Whittier Police detectives arrested Gabriel Esparza at his job on murder and kidnapping charges. He's being held without bail. Police said they also located a weapon they believe was used in the crime, as well as his 2013 Toyota Tacoma.
Later that night, detectives found Vazquez's body in a vegetation field in Moreno Valley.
Police said Vazquez and her boyfriend were "randomly targeted by the suspect."
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