Friends and family of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez, who may have been abducted after a shooting Sunday at a park in Whittier, gathered to pray for her safe return Monday.
“I’ve never experienced a heartbreak like this,” Edlyn Vazquez, the victim’s sister told KTLA’s Rick Chambers. “I’m just trying to stay strong for her because I know she’ll be back.”
According to the Whittier Police Department, officers responded to the parking stalls of Penn Park shortly after midnight on Sunday after a man reported that an armed suspect approached his vehicle — occupied by him and a female passenger — and fired gunshots in their direction.
Family members say that the 19-year-old was with her boyfriend in a car parked at the curb when another vehicle suddenly pulled up and fired a shot, striking Andrea. They claim that the boyfriend then ran to another couple in the park for help.
“He later returned and saw that his female companion that he was with there at the park was missing and that there was an amount of blood on the floor,” Whittier Police Captain David Elizarraras said.
The 19-year-old has not been heard from since.
Her sister, though, said that she traced Andrea’s phone early Sunday morning to a field just off the 10 Freeway in Moreno Valley. At the location, she said she found more blood, but no phone and no further trace of her sister.
“Just stay strong and we’re here and we’re looking, we’re not going to stop looking,” Edlyn said when asked if she had a message for Andrea or those who might’ve taken her. “She’ll be with us soon, I know she will. If you have her, please, please just bring her home. I don’t want to know anything. I don’t have any questions for the person, nothing. I just want her home.”
According to police, she is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 103 pounds and has brownish-red hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve crop top, khaki pants and black low-top Converse shoes.
Police are urging anyone who was at Penn Park between 11 p.m. on Saturday to 1 a.m. on Sunday to contact the Whittier Police Department on-duty watch commander at 562-567-9255.
Information can also be reported to Detective Jose Bolanos at 562-358-8504 or Detective Tom Nordbak at 562-244-0054.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to the department’s anonymous tip line by calling 562-567-9299.
