A teenager was slain in a Santa Ana drive-by. Could a reward help find her killer?
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A teenager killed in a drive-by shooting in Santa Ana is one of several cases Gov.Gavin Newsom is hoping to crack with a newly announced slate of $50,000 rewards.It’s been almost seven years since Victoria Barrios, 18, was shot and killed, and her slaying has maintained a high profile in the city.
A billboard campaign depicted Barrios in a blue cap and gown with the caption, “Who killed my daughter?”Eva Barrios, Victoria’s mother, hasn’t been able to afford to keep the billboards up in recent years, but hopes the state reward draws renewed attention to the case.“I am hopeful that people don’t just see the reward amount, but get in touch with their humanity,” she said.“I hope they realize that my daughter’s case is still unsolved and those responsible for her murder are still out there.”Santa Ana police detectives don’t believe that Victoria Barrios was the intended target of a suspected gang-related shooting on Aug.
30, 2019.Barrios, who was not a gang member, was walking with two friends when she was struck in the upper torso by gunfire just after midnight near 500 E.Pine Street in Santa Ana.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.A teenage boy was also injured.Police recovered video surveillance of the shooting, which showed gunfire erupting from a red four-door Chevrolet.But the trail has grown cold over the years.Newsom first offered a $50,000 reward in the Barrios case two years ago.
The Santa Ana Police Department has offered its own reward in that amount for information leading to arrests and convictions in the unsolved crime.“Every family deserves answers and justice,” Newsom said in a Friday statement.“These rewards send a message that every case matters, every victim matters and that we are all working towards increased accountability.”Under state law, Santa Ana police asked Newsom to issue the reward for the Barrios case, as inv...