*Arrest Made in Penn Park Shooting and Kidnapping Incident. Victim Found Deceased.

 Whittier CA (August 22, 2023) - On August 21, 2023 at about 3pm, Detectives from the Whittier Police Department and the LADA Community Violence Reduction Team arrested 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza, a Whittier resident, in connection with the shooting and kidnapping of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez.

Esparza was arrested without incident at his workplace in the city of Lakewood. The shooting incident happened at the parking stalls area of Penn Park shortly after midnight on August 20, 2023.

Esparza was booked at the Whittier Police Department jail on charges of murder and kidnapping. He is being held with no bail. A weapon believed to have been used in the commission of the crime was recovered.

Additionally, Esparza’s vehicle, a 2013 White Toyota Tacoma truck, was also recovered. Throughout the investigation, an ongoing search for Andrea Vazquez took place in large open land areas of Moreno Valley. At 11:50 p.m. on August 21, 2023, detectives located the body of Andrea Vasquez in a vegetation field off Alessandro Boulevard and Merwin Street in Moreno Valley.

At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park.

This relentless investigation and yesterday’s arrest were made possible by the dedication and commitment of our investigations division, with the assistance of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Downey Police Department, La Habra Police Department and the LADA Investigations Bureau Community Violence Reduction Team. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday August 23, 2023. Detectives are not disclosing any additional details at this time because the investigation is ongoing.

If you have information that can assist detectives on this case, please contact Detective Jose Bolanos at jbolanos@cityofwhittier.org or Detective Tom Nordbak at tnordbak@cityofwhittier.org. Information can also be provided anonymously to our crime tipline at 562-567-9299.

Press contact for this incident is Officer Tommy Mattsson, tmattsson@cityofwhittier.org / 562-244-0045.