GUILTY CA - Eliza Delacruz, 3 wks, Long Beach, 4 Jan 2015

[Curious Me]

I agree, and $25K is a nice chunk of change for someone who lives in that area. One would think that would loosen some lips. With $25K in their pocket, they can move to a nicer place.

It could be someone in the neighborhood who knows more. Or somebody who knew there was bad blood between the shooter and his targets. It could be a wife or gf of the shooter, or a family member of the shooter who knows he's in hiding, or suddenly disappeared, or is around acting weird. Somebody might know what the shooter was planning or knows what they did. Sometimes criminals like to boast and brag. What'd they do with the gun they used?

Overcoming fear of retaliation may be the problem if no one comes forth. It'd be absolutely crucial to keep it confidential by LE and provide protection.

Holding out hope.

 

[CatsInTheCradle]

Search for baby Eliza De La Cruz’s killer continues into third week

http://www.presstelegram.com/genera...-de-la-cruzs-killer-continues-into-third-week

I have been following along but this is one very difficult case to read. We have a new baby in the family (grandchild) and this is just heart breaking. I know from reading here there are vicious savage thugs among us, but to do this to a tiny baby. I can hardly think about her being so warm next to her mother one minute and then discarded shortly after. Please let justice prevail.

 

[Hexe]

I'm wondering if the shooter didn't know exactly what he was doing when he shot each one once. Like it was a warning, a shot to hurt, not to kill. The gun and ammo selected could have been intentional because he didn't want to kill. IMO

So why then he killed Eliza and took her with him? Three seriously injured people seem to be enough for a warning.

 

[EmiLove832]

So why then he killed Eliza and took her with him? Three seriously injured people seem to be enough for a warning.

This is what confuses me, why take Eliza? You've already shot 3 people. The two with wounds to the head could have been considered dead or soon to be dead.

I can't wrap my mind around taking the baby.

Could it be taking the baby ensures that it's a life altering trauma? I'm not discounting being shot as a trauma but your new baby kidnapped and murdered trumps being shot.


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[Seajay]

So why then he killed Eliza and took her with him? Three seriously injured people seem to be enough for a warning.

Good question. Certainly the prep is someone who is vicious beyond belief. It's hard to fathom that anyone could be that evil. To kidnap, then kill the baby was way over the top, someone without feelings at all. A heartless S.O.B. Again, the cartel comes to mind, or a gang but even gang members have their boundaries. This was ruthless. I believe these people were taught a lesson and if it's true that the family isn't cooperating with the police, then it's working. I also believe that whoever did this is across the border by now.

LE really has their work cut out for them in this case unless someone opens up their mouths and starts talking.

Maybe they borrowed a lot of money from the wrong person? And couldn't pay it back? There are so many scenarios that could fit this as a motive, even in the face of LE saying these people were squeaky clean.

No one deserves what happened to these people, but if they did something that someone felt they had to retaliate over, this could be the motive. IMO, JMO.

 

[katydid23]

I am still not convinced he meant to kill the baby. A healthy newborn is worth a lot of money on the black market.

We know that the family had a large outdoor baby shower in the previous weeks. I am wondering if it gave someone the idea to kidnap the newborn to sell her. Newborns can go for 100k or more.

I don't think the perp knew how to care for a tiny fragile newborn. They are very susceptible to death by lack of hydration, nutrients, warmth, oxygen. If he tried to hide her in a duffle bag when he was running to the Mexican border, she might have died, accidentally. And so he dumped her and ran. Just a theory. It makes more sense to me than 'the family' did it, or a gang hit, imo.

 

[katydid23]

I don't see much evidence of them borrowing large sums of money. They have a small affordable home, in a working class neighborhood, with many occupants. No expensive cars. I don't see where there is reason to believe the family is to blame. Maybe I just feel too bad and don't want to believe it.

 

[Curious Me]

He took that baby for some reason. Shooting three people wasn't good enough. Was he going for the baby all along?

I've considered he had a personal connection to the mother and the baby. Could the motive have been to sell Eliza? I tend to agree that he may not have expected the baby to die.

My doubt is I'd figure stealing babies to sell could be done without shooting three people and having the baby pass away, plus leaving the three witnesses alive. He bumbled everything and appears unprofessional. Stupid enough that he should be caught by now!

 

[TTF14]

It seems to me if kidnapping/black market baby selling were the motive here, the house occupants would be talking. Why would they be so fearful unless they had some idea who was responsible and that there would be retaliation? Kidnapping in order to have a baby to sell points to a complete stranger that they'd have no reason to "fear" (aside from the fact he shot them). At least not be in fear to the level they seem to be--not talking at all.

 

[katydid23]

It seems to me if kidnapping/black market baby selling were the motive here, the house occupants would be talking. Why would they be so fearful unless they had some idea who was responsible and that there would be retaliation? Kidnapping in order to have a baby to sell points to a complete stranger that they'd have no reason to "fear" (aside from the fact he shot them). At least not be in fear to the level they seem to be--not talking at all.

But maybe they don't know what or who or why it happened. So intense fear would make sense. Maybe they wonder, was it an ex, a wrong address, a random crazy whack job? Maybe they have no idea and are in total shock, despair and grief?

 

[jjenny]

He took that baby for some reason. Shooting three people wasn't good enough. Was he going for the baby all along?

I've considered he had a personal connection to the mother and the baby. Could the motive have been to sell Eliza? I tend to agree that he may not have expected the baby to die.

My doubt is I'd figure stealing babies to sell could be done without shooting three people and having the baby pass away, plus leaving the three witnesses alive. He bumbled everything and appears unprofessional. Stupid enough that he should be caught by now!

Seems that if the motivation was to sell the child, he would have taken better care of her. She was already dead the next day. He left three witnesses alive but for whatever reason the witnesses don't appear to be of much use. There still is no sketch, despite police saying they were working on one. There were three people who had to have seen him up close, none of them got a good look to even come up with a basic sketch?
So the case is very strange and I am not sure what to think of it at all.

 

[fraudqueen]

Not only no composite....but not even a height. Couldn't they at least say if the person was tall, short or average height?

 

[Seajay]

It certainly is a mystery why we can't even get a composite drawing of what the perp looked like with 3 witnesses. Along with no description. Short, tall, thin, heavy. What color hair or eyes. What the perp was wearing when last seen. The lack of any of these things really has me wondering what the heck is going on with the witnesses??? Someone shot them, someone stole that baby and the baby ended up dead. Why doesn't that loosen their tongues? When the baby was still alive and may have been found LE didn't have a description to put out a bulletin to find her. Why not??? It all goes back to what they were told by the victims or what they were not told. IMO, JMO.

 

[TTF14]

It certainly is a mystery why we can't even get a composite drawing of what the perp looked like with 3 witnesses. Along with no description. Short, tall, thin, heavy. What color hair or eyes. What the perp was wearing when last seen. The lack of any of these things really has me wondering what the heck is going on with the witnesses??? Someone shot them, someone stole that baby and the baby ended up dead. Why doesn't that loosen their tongues? When the baby was still alive and may have been found LE didn't have a description to put out a bulletin to find her. Why not??? It all goes back to what they were told by the victims or what they were not told. IMO, JMO.

When you say it like that, the only thing that makes sense is the witnesses HAVE talked and LE knows exactly who they are looking for, but isn't making it public.

 

[iamnotagolem]

Any update on the condition of the mom & uncle? I can't find anything. No autopsy results yet on Eliza?

 

[jjenny]

When you say it like that, the only thing that makes sense is the witnesses HAVE talked and LE knows exactly who they are looking for, but isn't making it public.

I very much doubt it. They are asking for tips. Which they wouldn't be if they knew who it was.

 

[jjenny]

Any update on the condition of the mom & uncle? I can't find anything. No autopsy results yet on Eliza?

Autopsy results are sealed.

 

[nikb]

I have been following along but this is one very difficult case to read. We have a new baby in the family (grandchild) and this is just heart breaking. I know from reading here there are vicious savage thugs among us, but to do this to a tiny baby. I can hardly think about her being so warm next to her mother one minute and then discarded shortly after. Please let justice prevail.

I'm so with you. I can't imagine her all happy and warm and breastfeeing one moment and in a dumpster the next. I just... can't. Who does this? That poor baby.

 

[Curious Me]

I'm so with you. I can't imagine her all happy and warm and breastfeeing one moment and in a dumpster the next. I just... can't. Who does this? That poor baby.

Same feelings here. Eliza looked in perfect health. I feel sympathy for the poor mother, as well, having to find out Eliza's gone. She had already bonded with her baby. You never forget losing a child. Plus, she may be disfigured or handicapped for life.

No word on how the mother or uncle are doing. No police sketch. No real description of the shooter.

:sigh:

 

[katydid23]

Seems that if the motivation was to sell the child, he would have taken better care of her. She was already dead the next day. He left three witnesses alive but for whatever reason the witnesses don't appear to be of much use. There still is no sketch, despite police saying they were working on one. There were three people who had to have seen him up close, none of them got a good look to even come up with a basic sketch?
So the case is very strange and I am not sure what to think of it at all.

BBM
True. But maybe he did not realize how fragile newborns are. The baby was just over 2 weeks old, not quite 3 weeks. So many things can go wrong, so fast with a baby that young. If the shooter grabbed her and ran, in a panic, he probably 'hid' her somewhere on his way to San Diego. Was she in a duffle bag or a back pack? I don't think she was safely belted into a car seat. Speculation was that he took public transit. If he tried to conceal her on a bus she could have easily died from various issues. Lack of oxygen, overheating, dehydration.

How did he even feed her? The only thing she was able to tolerate was her mothers milk. Did he give her cows milk in a bottle maybe, to try and quiet her cries? If she drank something that made her sick, she could die from dehydration very quickly if not treated.

It is not at all surprising that a panicked killer, on the run from a brutal crime, could accidentally kill a newborn due to neglect/stupidity. JMO