Infant Abducted from Home Following Shooting Found Dead

The community was already stunned when the news reported that three people in Long Beach had been shot inside their home. This anger and fear turned to horror when it was revealed that a three-week-old infant was now missing from the home and assumed abducted.

Eliza Delacruz

All attention turned to bringing baby girl Eliza Delacruz back safely. Sadly, we now have learned that this innocent child was not spared as her body was discovered in a dumpster in the San Diego area. Her killer, who is assumed to be the same man who shot her parents and uncle, is still at large. Two of the adult victims remain in the hospital in critical condition while the third has been released. Even if all three make a full recovery from their injuries, this crime has altered their lives forever.

No one wants to start a new year with such tragedy, when we hope that . . . somehow . . . this year can be different. But cases such as this one, and the resolve that the investigators in Long Beach have shown in bringing this cowardly killer to justice, remind me of the amazing respect I have for the men and women who face these situations every day and work tirelessly to remove predators from our communities. It’s cases like this that weighs heaviest on me the most.

While the surviving family members have provided some clues, the circumstances still seem murky with many more questions than answers. So the search will move forward and I am confident that this criminal will be found. He cannot be allowed to continue to roam free on the streets. It will not matter how many years I study the criminal mind, the thought process involved in harming and discarding a child like a piece of trash is not one I believe I ever will understand. My thoughts go out to the family and friends of the victims.

I would love to hear from you — what should we expect for this year and how do you feel about cases like this. I can’t help but think how my fictional heroine would handle this case.

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