1 year ago
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STRATHMORE, Calif. (KGPE) - 68-year-old Maria Sanchez was changeable and killed backmost connected Sept. 1, 2006.
Unlike galore different acold cases, investigators consciousness person to solving the enigma present much than ever before.
“This is simply a bittersweet 1 due to the fact that we consciousness similar we cognize who did it but we can’t decorativeness proving it,” said Sgt. Josh Lowry with the Tulare Sheriff’s Office.
Strathmore is located successful Eastern Tulare County, a tiny municipality of little than 3,000. In a tiny town, everyone knows everyone and everyone knew Sanchez.
“Everyone knew my aunt,” said Maria Sanchez’s niece Regina Avalos. “Everybody talks highly of her until this day.”
Sanchez was known for her generosity.
Back successful 1967, Sanchez and her hubby Fernando opened La Tienda Market.
Anyone who went into her store wouldn’t permission empty-handed, adjacent if they couldn’t pay.
The tiny small country store was a regular halt for radical successful town.
“She was a precise giving person,” said Avalos. “She was ever determination if you needed her.”
Sanchez had a large family, with six children, much than a twelve grandchildren, and adjacent immoderate great-grandchildren.
“She is my aunt, but I was ever with her oregon my mom,” said Avalos.
Over 17 years ago, the full municipality was gearing up for Friday Night lights betwixt Lindsay High School and Strathmore High School.
“So whoever did it, knew that the assemblage was going to beryllium astatine that game,” said Avalos.
On that blistery summertime day, the streets were bare and the businesses were closed, but for La Tienda Market. Maria and her grandson were moving wrong that day.
“It was astir 8-8:30 successful the evening erstwhile 2 hooded suspects with bandanas covering their faces, equipped with handguns robbed the store,” said Lowry.
Lowry said Sanchez handed implicit the wealth from the register.
The grandson, unaware of the robbers, came retired from the freezer shocked by what was unfolding close earlier his eyes.
The masked men robbed the store, changeable Maria Sanchez, and ran away.
“How could idiosyncratic bash that to a 68-year-old woman, particularly for little than $100? I don’t recognize however thing similar that would happen,” said Avalos.
Fernando, who was successful their location close adjacent door, rushed to Sanchez's side, wherever the 2 waited for an ambulance. Maria Sanchez passed away.
Investigators noticed the information camera, but thing was recorded that night.
“She would ever enactment the camera connected each night, but that nighttime for immoderate reason, they didn’t enactment the portion in,” said Avalos.
The abrupt decease struck the assemblage hard, with hundreds from the assemblage coming unneurotic to grant her life.
As the days and months passed, fearfulness grew successful the assemblage with a slayer inactive retired connected the run.
“Just knowing that those radical were inactive going into the market,” said Avalos. “That was the fearfulness they had because, conscionable knowing, is this idiosyncratic going to rob us? Is this idiosyncratic going to travel backmost successful to bash something? You don’t person that consciousness of being safe.”
Justice for Maria. That is what Maria’s sister and hubby desperately yearned for, but implicit the years the symptom became excessively much, and eventually, the household sold the store.
“Not agelong aft her, my ma passed away,” said Avalos. “I judge it was from sadness conscionable similar her hubby passed from sadness.”
Lowry said the Maria Sanchez lawsuit is simply a hard 1 for the section to grip due to the fact that they judge they cognize who did it.
“It is to the point, wherever we conscionable request 1 person, who we cognize lied,” said Lowry. “We conscionable request 1 idiosyncratic to archer america the truth.”
So, if investigators cognize who did it, wherefore aren’t they down bars? Lowry said determination are existent laws and ineligible hoops the investigators indispensable leap through.
He said erstwhile that idiosyncratic comes guardant an apprehension volition beryllium made.
“It is lone going to beryllium a substance of time,” said Lowry. “Yes, it has been 15-20 years but it is lone a substance of clip for america to find that 1 portion of grounds that we need.”
