NORMA LOPEZ - 17 yo (2010)/ Charged: Jesse Perez Torres - Moreno Valley (E of Riverside) CA

how devastating for her family. let's hope LE catches the killer quickly -

So sad....RIP Norma.

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.

A Moreno Valley girl abducted and killed last week was a “unique,
wonderful” person whose killer needs to be found quickly to prevent
another child from suffering the same fate, the teen’s family said
today.
“To the person that did this — why? Why her? I don’t want anybody to
go through this. But why her? She had never done anything to anyone,”
said Elizabeth Lopez, the older sister of Norma Angelica Lopez, who was
snatched one week ago today.
“If you just get the touch of heart and turn yourself in,” Lopez
added tearfully. “You killed her when we wanted her here at home. Just
turn yourself in.”
The Lopez family held a news briefing outside their home on Dunbar
Court. Elizabeth Lopez was joined by her father, Martin, 16-year-old
sister Sonia and 13-year-old brother, Jose.
The remains of the 17-year-old were found Tuesday afternoon in a
remote area of east Moreno Valley, about 2 1/2 miles from where she was
abducted.
Norma finished a summer class at Valley View High School around 10
a.m. and was taking a shortcut across a field to a friend’s house on
Cottonwood Avenue when she was taken, according to Riverside County
sheriff’s officials.
Investigators would not disclose how she died, or whether she was sexually assaulted.
“If you know something, tell police,” said Elizabeth Lopez. “That
way, we could find this person. That way, this won’t happen again to
another girl out there. We want to get the killer … so no other family
will have to go through something like this.”
Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday night at Valley View High School to pay tribute and shed tears for Norma.
The stands of the school’s football field, which hold 2,800 people,
were nearly filled for a candlelight vigil, organized by word-of-mouth
and the Internet.
Students sang songs and shared memories of going to school with the shy, bubbly girl.
“I bet up in the sky, my sister was like, ‘Oh my God. I didn’t know I was so popular,’” said Elizabeth Lopez.
She said her sister aspired to be a “model, a fashion designer and a music artist.”
“She was an amazing girl, always had a smile on her face, no matter
what,” Lopez said. “Something like this should’ve never happened to her,
just from how she was — a very unique, wonderful girl.”
A public memorial service is planned at 1 p.m. Thursday at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church, 25075 Cottonwood Ave.
Sheriff’s deputies set up a traffic checkpoint today at Nason Street
and Cottonwood Avenue, not far from where Norma was abducted. Motorists
traveling through the area were asked whether they recalled seeing
anything suspicious on the day of the kidnapping.
“We haven’t stopped investigating every lead since we were first
notified of the abduction. We will continue to follow every lead we
have,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Borja Wednesday.
The body, found just before 3 p.m. Tuesday in high grass off Theodore
Street, near Dracaea Avenue, could not immediately be identified.
Investigators relied on dental records to confirm it was Norma’s,
according to Borja.
He said another crime victim’s remains were found in the same general
location within the past year, but did not provide details about that
case.
The sergeant urged parents to be vigilant and ensure their children’s safety.
“There’s a murderer out there. Keep track of your children,” he said.
“It’s probably our worst nightmare that our kids can be taken from the
street and killed.”
A green sport utility vehicle was seen speeding away from the area
around the time of Norma’s disappearance. Borja said investigators would
still like to know who was in the vehicle — if nothing else than to
rule the occupants out as suspects.
A $35,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for killing
the girl.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call 877-242-4345.

alwaysbelieve wrote: This does not sound good. My question is, how could the body be so decomposed already, she's only been missing a few days hasn't she?
Will be keeping her & her family in my prayers.

Norma Lopez disappeared at the beginning of a weeklong heat wave in which temperatures were at least 100° or above. This accelerates the rate the rate of decomposition. This is why at the morgue they put bodies in a freezer or refrigerator to slow down the rate of decomposition and preserve what's left of the body.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

...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

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Break in Norma Lopez's death elusive

10:52 PM PST on Saturday, December 25, 2010

Moreno Valley Police Chief John Anderson keeps a photo of Norma Lopez on his desk, a reminder of a case he is intent on solving. More than five months after the Moreno Valley teenager was
kidnapped and slain, her killer has not been identified. Norma’s death rocked the community, drawing thousands of people to her funeral and sparking an impromptu vigil at the football
field of the high school where she had attended class the morning
she vanished. Months later, rock bands organized the “Never
Again” benefit concert in her memory as a fundraiser for the
family.
“This investigation is one of those that stand out, and there’s
not a day that goes by that I don’t think about this case,”
Anderson said. “We’re still looking at leads, and we haven’t
reached the point where we don’t have anything to look at. Our
goal is to solve this case.” Detectives say they
are sifting through evidence and investigating several leads.
They still await results of forensic tests that might yield DNA
evidence from the scene. Such tests, sent to a state lab, can
take up to a year to complete. It’s a contrast to
the days after Norma’s disappearance and the discovery of her
body, when the investigation was intense. Days
after her body was found, police and homicide investigators held
checkpoints around the high school and the field where she was abducted,
searching for any witnesses from that afternoon. Detectives interviewed nearly every one of the city’s 220
registered sex offenders, but each was ruled out as a suspect.
They also didn’t find a suspect among her known acquaintances or
anyone from her past. They now say the attack was random. In September, police searched the home of a former teacher’s
aide, but he was not arrested and is not considered a suspect.
KIDNAPPED On July 15, Norma,
17, was walking home from summer school classes at Valley View
High School en route to a friend’s house. Police say she took a
shortcut through a dirt field to Cottonwood Avenue.
That’s where detectives believe she was abducted. Police found signs
of a struggle, and Norma’s backpack was in the dirt. A green SUV
was seen speeding from the area. A farmer
found Norma’s body about five days later in a grove of trees off
Theodore Avenue, about two miles from the field.
Detectives have kept details of the evidence and investigation secret;
releasing such information, such as a cause of death or whether
Norma had been sexually assaulted, would hinder the
investigation, they say. Authorities say some crucial details may
be known only by detectives and the person who abducted her.
“We’re doing every last thing possible to solve this
case,” Anderson said. “I think it will happen, and I can’t say
when, but when you keep working these cases, you make your own
breaks.” SIFTING LEADS The
last major development in the case was in September, when detectives
searched a home a few blocks from the field where Norma was
abducted. Police towed a green Mitsubishi Montero
SUV from the home and served a search warrant, seeking to question
Lazarus Tasby and obtain a DNA sample from him. Tasby had worked as a
teacher's aide at Norma’s school from March 2007 to November 2009. Tasby has not been named as a suspect but hasn’t been cleared,
either, said Sgt. Todd Torrenti, the Riverside County homicide
sergeant who is leading the investigation.
He said Tasby wasn’t home when the house was searched but was
questioned later. Authorities would not say whether a DNA sample
was taken. “We are looking at any evidence that would eliminate him as a suspect,” Torrenti said. Tasby’s stepfather, Eric Muswaswa, was arrested at the time on
suspicion of obstruction of justice when he resisted officers
serving a search warrant, but he has not been charged. Muswaswa,
who suffered a broken ankle at the time of the search, accused
police of excessive force. The family’s SUV was
returned weeks later, and they said they have had no contact with
police since the home was searched. “We maintain
our family had nothing to do with what happened to the Lopez
family, and we sympathize with the family in their loss,” Muswaswa
said. The investigation has led to thousands of tips from the public, most unfounded and some deliberately false. Still, detectives say they continue to make progress as they sift
through evidence and wait for forensic and DNA testing to come
back from the backlogged state Department of Justice crime lab.
Authorities are quick to rebuff critics who claim
the case has been ignored. In the scope of a homicide
investigation, a case open for five months is far from cold,
Torrenti said. Not that investigators don’t wish for a speedier
resolution. “This strikes close to home when you
have kids, and I would love to get closure for the family,”
Torrenti said. “How do you expect someone to be patient when a
family member’s been killed? They want closure, but they
understand it takes time.” ‘NORMA’S PLEDGE’ Norma’s family speaks weekly with detectives, but police say they
have been able to provide little information. The news vans and
crowd of reporters outside the family’s home have cleared. Family
members have declined to talk about the case in recent months.
A large wooden cross stands off the beaten dirt
road where Norma’s body was found. It reads, “Norma Angelica.”
Dried flowers, scattered candles and teddy bears, now sodden with
rain, surround the cross. A Facebook group
of nearly 3,000 people still posts messages of condolences to Norma’s
family almost daily and communicates with Norma’s oldest sister,
Elizabeth. Elizabeth and her sister Sonia both have
appeared on Moreno Valley public television and handed out
bracelets around school for “Norma’s Pledge.” The vow states, “I
look around. I don’t walk alone. I report suspicious activity.”
Several community groups have organized
neighborhood watch programs and escorts for children walking
home. But parents still worry about their children’s safety. Last month, a Valley View High School student said a man tried to
lure her into his vehicle while she was walking home alone, but
she was able to run to safety. The incident was not linked to
Norma’s case. The Moreno Valley Unified School
District has increased security around Valley View and alerted
staff to be on the lookout for similar encounters. The district
is working with the city on a permanent memorial for Norma. “I think when you have an incident with that type of consequence,
everyone’s on edge,” Moreno Valley Unified interim
Superintendent Nick Ferguson said. “I think it’s tapered off
some, but the vigilance is still there. We don’t want to be
lulled into a sleeping sense of security.” Reach John Asbury at 951-763-3451 or jasbury@PE.com

http://www.pe.com/localnews/morenovalley/stories/PE_News_Local_D_norma26.4e368a4a.html

Hello, I've been following this case ever since it blew up on the news. Except let me tell you something about Moreno Valley. It is a wasted city, with lost residents. I only lived here for about a year now and to tell you it is quite boring out here. During the whole summer months, people were all "yeah let's catch the killer" and "we need to protect our children". The saddest thing to say is that the city was only doing everything for show. And then following into September, everyone went silent and left the case alone. No words or anything.

Norma Lopez was abducted in a desolate field that is surrounded by a hill and houses it's on cottonwood ave. about 300 yards westbound from Nason St., the school is about 1/4 to 3/4 of a mile away from the abduction site. There are two accessible foot routes towards the field, I am drawing up the theory that she enter the field through Dracaea Ave. 300 yards away from Nason St.

Then she was abducted on the cottonwood ave. exit, if you notice though there are houses right in front of the field that are facing the field. Many people say that she was heading home, but the police said that she was on her way to meet up with her sister and friend at the friend's house. Okay, so she is abducted on cottonwood ave., there are signs of a struggle left behind along with some of her belongings.
Now this is the thing where it gets weird, during 10am - 2pm the traffic is sort of bipolar down Nason st., but Nason St. does lead into the shopping center northbound from the abduction site. On the opposite side where Moreno Beach Dr. is, the traffic is always moderate between those hours. But this is taken upon research I've done during my fall semester. Maybe during the summer it could've been different, because of Lake Perris and everyone is off from school, I won't be able to say until this summer when I survey the street flow.

Now someone saw a green SUV leaving near or around the abduction site, those reports have been contradicting. It is impossible for someone to report the SUV and not know what model it was, even the authorities could draw up every single model made and color it in all shades of green that manufactures use. There have reports that it was a ford suv, the authorities have no information other than it was a green suv.

So then nothing new is heard from Norma besides the same things over and over again, until they discovered the body. They found it about 150 yards Northbound from Dracaea Ave. on Theodore St. It was heavily decomposed due to the massive heatwave we had during that whole week. It wasn't over 100 degrees, it was near that around 93-99, but yeah.

After the confirmation of the body, the whole city went into media frenzy mode. They began having all types of outcries for justice, MVPD and RSD began going after the 60+ sexual predators that reside in the city and some that reside near the city. It was nice that we showed such support for the Lopez family, especially during their darkest hour, and it made me proud to have moved to a city where the residents united on all fronts when one of our youth went out in such a horrific way. Then during this time somehow people began making up rumors about the way Norma's body was found. Some of those rumors stated that she was mutilated and parts were taken off, then that led to whole dad was in the cartel and that they had done this because he owed money.

None of this was true, there was no info release on the body's condition, besides that it was heavily decomposed. The whole cartel thing, the family does not strike me as a cartel family would. Because the dad gave his face to the public and so did the rest of the family. That would've automatically placed a target mark on the household and the whole Mexican Mafia reason will not work either, because LA EME has a strong code against the murdering of children, they consider an individual a child up to the age of 18 or if they are males it's the same unless they are gang bangers then it's open season if you do something against them.

Then the funeral pass, there was even more of an outcry for justice. Then this the point where the city begins to close up on this case and within time everything goes quiet until the warrant was served up on September 1st. The whole thing was that a young 24 year old male owned a green suv and he was connected by the fact that he worked at Valley View High so it was a big coincidence. Then once again the authorities keep their mouth shut and then it goes dead, the town kept ever since the funeral. No speaks about this case anymore, I've been everywhere in this city and no one speaks of anything. There has been rumors that have been promoted to the truth, but in reality there is no true answer for now, maybe the killer(s) rest within my community within my town, maybe he was a or they were a drifter that came through just to scare us.....but none of us will know until they catch them. Until then, I'll continue my research and hopefully come up on something the cops maybe miss or maybe discover something new.

If you are asking that I've done my research, yes I have and to say it all. I am Robert Graysmith and this case is the Zodiac. So yeah

Thanks for the interesting info Robert. I'll just update this thread with the latest info I can find and please do the same if you see any news in the future.

Jan 15 2011
MORENO VALLEY -- Saturday
marked six-months since the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Norma
Angelica Lopez, the Moreno Valley girl whose case mobilized a community
and now ``eats'' at the investigators working to solve it.Since
Norma's disappearance and death on July 15, Riverside County sheriff's
investigators have followed up ``hundreds, if not thousands'' of
potential leads in the case, but none have resulted in a resolution --
to the frustration of everyone involved, according to sheriff's Capt.
John Anderson, the chief of police for Moreno Valley. ``It's one
of those cases that, until it gets solved, it haunts you,'' Anderson
told City News Service. ``Here you have a totally innocent young girl
with a lot of life ahead of her, a promising future, and she's killed.
It's the sort of thing that eats at your heart. We want to solve this --
badly.'' Anderson said that while the amount of resources
devoted full-time to the case has been cut sharply, detectives from
Moreno Valley -- which contracts with the sheriff's department for law
enforcement services -- and the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit continue
to scrutinize any and all prospective leads. ``I can safely
say we are working this case actively,'' the police chief said. ``We
haven't reached the point where we have nothing else to look at.''
Anderson said law enforcement identified several ``persons of
interest'' early in the investigation. ``But those didn't pane out,'' he
said. One of them was a 25-year-old Moreno Valley resident
whose questioning by detectives in early September generated a stir when
his stepfather allegedly attempted to interfere with sheriff's deputies
examining the young man's green sport utility vehicle. A green
pickup truck or SUV was reported speeding away from the location of
Norma's abduction. But on reflection, Anderson said, there's no
certainty that the vehicle and the kidnapping are related. ``We have no eyewitnesses to what happened,'' the lawman said. ``That makes things extremely difficult.''
The police chief would not disclose whether Norma was sexually
assaulted. But he acknowledged that all sex registrants who live in the
region had been ``looked at pretty thoroughly.'' Under
California Penal Code section 290, convicted sex offenders -- from
flashers to rapists -- are required to keep law enforcement informed
about where they're residing. ``We continue to go out there and
shake the bushes and try to find people we initially might have
missed,'' Anderson said. ``You never know what you'll get. We had one
person who said he had seen something, but after spending a considerable
amount of time with us, he said `maybe I imagined it.''' In
the weeks after the murder, deputies set up checkpoints and handed out
fliers, hoping to generate clues. Anderson said thousands of calls came
into a 24-hour tip line, but there was nothing conclusive. Detectives
walked the roughly 2.5 miles between where Norma was taken and where her
body was disposed, searching for evidence, he said. A
construction site about 250 yards away from where the remains were found
held some promise initially, after investigators learned there were
security cameras at the site. ``A detective spent the better part of a day reviewing those tapes,'' Anderson said. Unfortunately, the cameras were focused on high-dollar industrial equipment parked there overnight.
Norma was headed to a friend's house in the 27300 block of Cottonwood
Avenue when she disappeared. She had attended summer classes that
morning at Valley View High School and was using a shortcut through an
open field when she was grabbed. Personal items strewn around the area
pointed to a struggle. In the ensuing days, hundreds of
concerned residents organized a search, and a reward was offered for her
safe return. On the afternoon of July 20, a resident preparing to mow
his lawn on Theodore Street, in a remote area of east Moreno Valley,
stumbled onto the teenager's remains. According to Anderson, investigators combed the location for tire tracks and other possible evidence, but turned up little. Vigils and a series of benefits to assist the Lopez family were held over the next month. Anderson said he meets regularly with Norma's parents, Martin and Norma Lopez, sharing what information he can.
``I keep a picture of her on my desk,'' the police chief said. ``I
had seasoned veterans in this office emotionally distraught over what
happened. We want to solve this, at least to bring some sort of peace of
mind to the family. We could use a break.'' Anyone with more information about the case was urged to call sheriff's Investigator James Merrill at (951) 486-6700.

http://www.kesq.com/news/26504191/detail.html

By the way, did you see we have a new case of a missing girl in Riverside that I just started a thread for today?
https://justice4caylee.forumotion.net/t10576-mary-jan-gieling-16-yo-riverside-nth-east-corona-ca