Re: NORMA LOPEZ - 17 yo (2010) - Moreno Valley (E of Riverside) CA

by radchuck03 on Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:40 pm

TomTerrific0420 wrote:The grieving older sister of a 17-year-old girl who was abducted and
killed pleaded with the murderer Thursday to surrender and explain why
the teen was targeted blocks from her high school."The person
that did this, why? Why her?" said Elizabeth Lopez, as she stood outside
the family home with her father, two little brothers and one of her
three other little sisters. "I don't want anybody to go through this,
but why her? She had never done anything to anyone."Norma Lopez,
an avid dancer and aspiring fashion designer, was abducted last week
while walking to meet a friend after a summer school class. Her body was
found five days later in a field less than three miles away."Just
get the touch of heart and turn yourself in 'cause you killed her when
we want her here home. Just turn yourself in. That's all we want,"
Elizabeth Lopez said as her sister Sonia, 16, embraced her.Their father Martin Lopez said he believed he felt it in his heart when his daughter died."For
me, the way I felt it, you feel it in the chest like a pressure, like a
hit, like someone was hitting me," he said in Spanish.Elizabeth Lopez said her mother was heartbroken but relieved the body was found."She just wished she could have done something," she said.Investigators conducted vehicle checkpoints and questioned sex offenders as the hunt for the killer expanded.Authorities
approached drivers on a street outside the school, near the site where
Norma Lopez's belongings were found last week. Detectives hoped to find
someone who saw the girl close to the time she was abducted.Investigators
were also questioning registered sex offenders in Moreno Valley,
sheriff's Sgt. Joseph Borja said. Fourteen registered sex offenders live
within a 2-mile radius of the high school where Lopez was last seen,
according to the Megan's Law website.The raven-haired teen
disappeared July 15 after leaving a biology class at Valley View High
School, where she would have been a senior this year. Norma Lopez was
going to meet her younger sister at the nearby home of a friend, as she
had done every day since summer school began, the family said.When
Norma didn't show up, her younger sister and a friend went to look for
her, found some of her personal items in a field 1 1/2 blocks from the
school and called authorities, said Borja, spokesman for the Riverside
County Sheriff's Department.The field, a well-known neighborhood
shortcut, is off a street that dead-ends at the base of boulder-studded
hills cut with trails and Lopez cut across it often, her family said.Searchers
fruitlessly covered the area for several days before Lopez's body was
discovered Tuesday by a man clearing brush in another rural field more
than two miles away.Police want to speak with the driver of a green SUV seen speeding from the area the day Lopez vanished.Authorities
have declined to release her cause of death, citing the ongoing
investigation, and would not say if she was sexually assaulted. Her
decomposed body was identified using dental records.Her father
said investigators also took blood samples from Lopez's sisters and
mother and took hairs from her brush as part of the investigationLopez's
parents, who are originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, were being
assisted by the Mexican consulate, said Carolina Zaragoza, head of the
consulate's local office.Moreno Valley is a city of 186,000 about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.The
teen's disappearance drew wide attention across Southern California,
where the high-profile abduction-murders of two other teenage girls in
San Diego County — one jogging alone this year and the other walking to
school in 2009 — led to a sex offender who ultimately admitted to the
killings and is now imprisoned.Lopez's best friend Giovanna
Gutierrez, 17, said she was supposed to meet Lopez at the high school
for senior class pictures the day she disappeared."She didn't have any problems. She was always full of laughter," Gutierrez said.

Most likely killed by a registered sex offender. Whoever did this most likely planned this well in advance. My guess is that the culprit knew the area pretty well, as well as his escape route.

by TomTerrific0420 on Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:49 pm

Welcome to J4C radchuck03!
I must agree. The consensus here is that this perp stalked that "shortcut" like a red-tailed hawk and knew exactly when to expect her.
It's the same thing that happened to Amber Dubois, she was taking a shortcut after school.
Parents, tell your kids: NO Shortcuts, stay on the streets and sidewalks where you can be seen. Never walk alone. This is not the world we grew up in. In kindergarten, I walked both ways (admittedly with friends) for seven blocks to get there.
I feel so bad for these innocent young ones.

by TomTerrific0420 on Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:37 am

More than 500 people lined up in the heat Wednesday to pay their
respects to 17-year-old Norma Lopez, walking silently into a Moreno
Valley chapel and past a coffin draped with pink roses and a tearful
mother and father saying their final goodbyes to their young daughter.

Many who came expressed both anger and fear that such a good child could
suffer such a gruesome end to her young life. Norma was abducted while
walking home from summer school earlier this month and found dead in a
grassy field days later. The killer remains at large.

"I have a daughter who's 13 years old. She is going to the same high
school. I went to that high school. It just hits so close to home," said
Yvonne Robles, 31, a teacher's assistant in Moreno Valley. "We just
wanted to come by and show her family that we're all behind them."

The St. Christopher Catholic Church overflowed Wednesday afternoon with
teenagers and community members for the viewing and rosary service, and a
large crowd is expected for a formal Mass and memorial at the church on
Thursday. During Wednesday's service, a collage of photographs was
displayed on the wall beneath a tiny stained-glass window, allowing mourners
to watch Lopez grow from a toddler taking her first steps to her teenage years.

"I'm here because we lost a member of our community, a young woman who
was just about to begin her life," said Vi Lindsey, a professor of
social work who drove from Riverside with her husband. "When something
like this happens, it happens to all of our children, to all of us."

Among those who came to pay respects was Carrie McGonigle, the mother of
14-year-old Amber Dubois, who was abducted while walking to class in
Escondido in February 2009 and later found dead. The registered sex
offender convicted of murdering and raping Dubois and 17-year-old
Chelsea King, a Poway High School student who a year later vanished
while jogging near Lake Hodges, was sentenced in May to life in prison
without the chance of parole.

"I just wanted to send my condolences. I lasted about three minutes in
the memorial, and then I had to leave. It was just too many memories. I
was overwhelmed," McGonigle said.

At the very least, McGonigle said, she hopes Norma's death reminds
parents to always be aware of where their children go, and to teach them
to avoid dangerous habits such as walking alone in isolated places.

Norma was reported missing July 15 when she didn't return from summer
school at Valley View High School, triggering a citywide search.
Investigators found her purse, as well as signs of a struggle, in a
vacant field along Cottonwood Avenue, a shortcut she took every day to a
friend's house.

Norma's body was found in a field on the eastern edge of town five days
later by a resident doing yard work. The area is just off the California
60 and is surrounded by vast wheat fields.

Earl Crites, who found her body near his house, dropped by St. Christopher's to offer his support to the family.

"I really just wanted to let them know that I'm real sorry for what happened," said Crites, 69.

Sgt. Dean Spivacke of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's
Central Homicide Unit said investigators are "examining scientific
evidence in an attempt to locate DNA" of the killer, but no suspects or
persons of interest have emerged so far.

"It's such an unusual occurrence to have someone kidnapped in the middle
of the day," Spivacke said. "That makes us think it could be someone
she knows, but then it definitely could be a stranger abduction as well.
We just don't know."

Police also continue to search for the driver of a newer model green SUV
that was seen speeding away from the area where Norma disappeared.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the case to call (877) 242-4345,
or send an e-mail to findnormaskiller@riversidesheriff.org.

by TomTerrific0420 on Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:27 pm

Mourners packed a Southern California church Thursday to say goodbye
to Norma Lopez, a 17-year-old girl who was abducted just blocks from her
school then killed.Family members, classmates, police and
community members filled St. Christopher Catholic Church in Riverside
County, with the overflow crowd watching video monitors of the funeral
Mass in a separate hall.Even more people gathered on a sidewalk in front of the church.White-gloved
pallbearers brought Lopez's casket into the church, where it was
covered with pink and white roses and placed at the head of the
sanctuary with candles and photos of the teenager.Teenage girls hugged and cried outside the church.Lopez
was abducted July 15 as she walked to a friend's home after a summer
school class at Valley View High School, police said. Her body was found
five days later in a field two miles away. No arrests have been made.Rev.
Miguel Ceja told the 2,000 mourners there was no explanation for what
happened to Norma. He also said they must have faith that Norma's spirit
would always be present with the spirit of God."Norma is not
only a memory, she's a part of us. Through her tragic death, she's
managed to bring this community together. Let us work together. That can
be the best tribute we can give Norma," Ceja said.People who didn't know the teenager said they were affected by her death and wanted to show support for her grieving family."I'm concerned for my children. We want the killer found and we want justice for Norma," Yvette Serrano said.

by kiwimom on Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:51 pm

Still no news on the investigation and no suspects as far as we know. This is the latest news I can find.
Friday, August 20th, 2010.
Issue 33, Volume 14.

This week marks a month since 17-year-old Norma Angelica Lopez was abducted and found murdered in Moreno Valley. Investigators say they’re following many leads but there are no suspects. Norma disappeared on July 15th on her way to a friend’s house after finishing a summer class at Valley View High School. Investigators say she took shortcut through a field. A man doing tractor work on his property found Norma’s body 5 days later. The remote, grass-covered field where her body was found is only 2 ½ miles from her destination. Nobody knows how Norma died or if she was sexually assaulted. Sergeant Joe Borja said he could not release
any details from the autopsy or case.
"We’ve had a lot of leads but none are panning out. At this time we cannot release any information about the autopsy, it could tip-off potential suspects," said Borja adding that the full report wasn’t in and would take more time.

A green SUV was seen in the area where Norma disappeared but where the vehicle is and who was driving it remains a mystery.

Borja wanted to remind the public that a $35,000 reward is being offered to anyone who gives information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information should call (877) 242-4345 or email findnormaskiller@riversidesheriff.org

by TomTerrific0420 on Wed Sep 01, 2010 4:46 pm

A green sport utility vehicle was seized from a home a few blocks from the field where a
17-year-old girl was believed kidnapped in July, but officials declined
Wednesday to say whether the people living there might be suspects in her death.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Joseph Borja said he could not release any information
because it would jeopardize the investigation. The search warrant
affidavits in the case are sealed, he said.
A 42-year-old man who lives near the searched home was arrested on
suspicion of obstruction of justice during the search, jail records
show. Authorities declined to say if Eric Muswaswa was a suspect or
discuss his involvement, if any, in the investigation.
A number listed for him was disconnected and a man with the same name did
not immediately respond Wednesday to an e-mail. Messages left at the
home that was searched were not returned Wednesday.
Investigators believe the teenager was abducted on July 15 as she walked to a
friend's home after a summer class at Valley View High School.
Investigators also have said there were signs of a struggle, but they
have not released the cause of her death.
Her purse and backpack were found in the field, said Elizabeth Lopez, the
teen's sister. Her body was found five days later in another field two miles away.
No arrests have been made and authorities have offered a $35,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Detectives previously have said they believe Lopez was kidnapped by a stranger.
Investigators on Tuesday also searched the home, which is three blocks from the field. A witness has
said a green SUV drove from the area around the time 17-year-old Norma
Lopez was believed to have been abducted.

by cindmo on Thu Sep 02, 2010 2:18 am

...In an interview with CBS2 Wednesday evening, Eric Muswaswa appeared outside his home and through an attorney said his family had nothing to do with Norma's slaying. The attorney, Miles Clark of Riverside, said investigators who searched the home focused on the couple's son — Lazarus Tasby, 25 — and removed several items from his room. They also confiscated the family's green Mitsubishi Montero....

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0902-norma-lopez-20100902,0,2425894.story

by oviedo45 on Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:11 am

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20015303-504083.html
snipped
seized a green SUV, a car that matches descriptions given by witnesses of one seen leaving the spot where Norma was last seen.
===============================
if this is the car she was taken in - let's hope there is some forensic evidence in it.

by TomTerrific0420 on Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:27 am

Rockers
ALIEN ANT FARM and P.O.D. are to team up to raise funds for the family
of a 17-year-old murder victim who hailed from the groups' Riverside neighborhood in California.The two groups will co-headline the Never Again concert at Moreno Valley College on September 18th.
The benefit will double as a tribute show to Norma Lopez, who went
missing on 15 July after attending a local school. Her body was
found in a nearby field five days later.
The concert will also feature performances by Paloma Cruz and a to-be-announced special guest.
All proceeds from the show will benefit Lopez's grieving family and
help them cover funeral expenses and boost a reward to help law
enforcement officials find and catch her killer or killers.
Alien Ant Farm drummer Mike Cosgrove said, "My heart goes out to
Norma, her family and friends. I have a daughter and can't even imagine
how Norma’s parents feel."
A statement from P.O.D. reads, "Our hearts go out to the Norma Lopez
family. We are deeply saddened and outraged by what’s happened. When we
heard about the benefit, we wanted to do our part and help."

by oviedo45 on Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:15 am

http://www.cdapress.com/news/national_news/article_5edaaa9e-4d6d-5650-a085-c26fd74bab58.html

Posted: Thursday, September 2, 2010 10:17 am | Updated: 12:07 pm, Thu Sep 2, 2010.

0 comments

A 25-year-old man who lives at a home searched by detectives investigating a teen's slaying once worked as a teacher's aide at the victim's high school, school officials confirmed Thursday.

Authorities searched the home of Lazarus Tasby's parents Tuesday and seized a green SUV similar to the one seen speeding from the area where 17-year-old Norma Lopez was abducted July 15.

Riverside County sheriff's officials would not say if Tasby was a suspect. Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Joseph Borja said he could not release any information about the search because it would jeopardize the investigation.

The search warrant affidavits in the case are sealed, he said.

The home where Tasby lives with his parents in Moreno Valley, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles, is three blocks from the field where Lopez's purse and backpack were found.

Tasby worked at Valley View High School from March 2007 to November 2009 as an instructional aide working with special education students, said Henry Voros, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Moreno Valley Unified School District.

School district records show Tasby resigned for personal reasons Nov. 17. That followed his arrest Oct. 29 on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute, according to Riverside County Superior Court records.

He pleaded not guilty and the case is pending. A call to Glen Sandler, Tasby's attorney in the prostitution case, was not immediately returned.

The Tasby family's attorney, Miles Clark, said investigators took several items from Lazarus Tasby's room but Clark said no one in the family had done anything wrong. Tasby was not home during the search and detectives did not question anyone while they were there, Clark said.

"In no way is Eric or his wife Wanda or his son Lazarus responsible for the death of anyone," Clark said. "This has been a nightmare for them, as you can imagine."

Eric Muswaswa, 42, was arrested during the search on suspicion of obstruction of justice and released a short time later, but Borja said the arrest was not related to the homicide investigation.

Investigators believe Lopez was abducted July 15 as she walked to a friend's home after a summer class at Valley View High School. Investigators found signs of a struggle but they have not released the cause of her death. Lopez's purse and backpack were found in the field. Her body was found five days later in another field two miles away.

Detectives previously have said they believe Lopez was kidnapped by a stranger. Authorities have offered a $35,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

by oviedo45 on Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:18 am

TomTerrific0420 wrote:Welcome to J4C radchuck03!
I must agree. The consensus here is that this perp stalked that "shortcut" like a red-tailed hawk and knew exactly when to expect her.
It's the same thing that happened to Amber Dubois, she was taking a shortcut after school.
Parents, tell your kids: NO Shortcuts, stay on the streets and sidewalks where you can be seen. Never walk alone. This is not the world we grew up in. In kindergarten, I walked both ways (admittedly with friends) for seven blocks to get there.
I feel so bad for these innocent young ones.

and now we find out this person that they are serving search warrants on worked at the school.

by TomTerrific0420 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:56 pm

Tickets are on sale now for a benefit concert featuring P.O.D. for the Moreno Valley teen killed on her way home from summer school classes.
Norma Lopez, 17, went missing July 15 after taking a shortcut home walking from summer classes at Valley View High School. Her body was discovered on July 20 in a nearby field.The “Never Again” concert will feature P.O.D., Alien Ant Farm and Butterscotch, among others, on Sept. 18 at Moreno Valley College.“My heart goes out to Norma, her family and friends. I have a daughter and can’t even imagine how Norma’s parents feel,” Mike Cosgrove, Alien Ant Farm drummer, said in a release. “We have a lot of friends that went to Valley View High School through the years and have used that same shortcut. It’s tragic and frightening.”Tickets are $10 with proceeds benefiting the family to assist with funeral expenses as well as establishing a reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her death. “When I heard that Norma Lopez was missing and then her body was found a week later, it struck a chord in me,” Gary Avila, vice president of artist development at Tao Music Group, said in a news release. “Being a parent, I knew that I had to do something to help prevent this from happening again.”Avila is among those putting together the event. For more information on the concert, or on where to purchase tickets, go to www.moval.org.

by oviedo45 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:55 pm

it's been two weeks since they served the warrant - i hope they have something

by TomTerrific0420 on Sun Sep 19, 2010 2:10 am

A benefit concert was held Saturday for the family of Norma Angelica Lopez, the 17-year-old Moreno Valley girl abducted and killed in July by an unknown assailant.
Local and national bands were scheduled to play during the five-hour show, which got under way around noon at Moreno Valley College, 16-130 Lasselle St.Scheduled performers included Butterscotch, Alien Ant Farm, P.O.D., Paloma Cruz and The Ringleader D.J. Ace.Actor Danny Trejo, who stars in the recently released movie “Machete,” was a special guest at the concert.All proceeds from the event are to go to the Lopez family, according to organizers.Lopez went missing on the morning of July 15, as she trekked through a field to a friend's house in the 27-300 block of Cottonwood Avenue, after leaving Valley View High School, where she had attended summer classes.Her remains were found five days later, about 2 1/2 miles away, in a remote area of east Moreno Valley.No suspects have been arrested in the case.Earlier this month, investigators seized a green sport utility vehicle belonging to Lazarus Tasby, a 25-year-old man who lives with his parents a few blocks from where Lopez was abducted.A green SUV was spotted racing away from the location where Lopez would have been on the morning of her kidnapping.Tasby's attorney has said there is no evidence connecting the young man or any member of the household to the homicide.Anyone with information was asked to contact Riverside County sheriff's investigators at (877) 242-4345.

by tammers1212 on Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:40 pm

Almost 2 months since they issued the warrant.. and no new news that I can find anywhere :(