Prior Cold Case

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Sofia Gomez, 92, a Latina great-grandmother killed a year ago in Panorama City.

‘It was a year ago today,’ said Det. Efren Gutierrez, pleading for help in the investigation of Sofia Gomez’s murder. The case has been on his mind for months, a standout for its brutality and purposelessness. ‘She was just a little old lady. There was no rhyme or reason,’ he said.

Gomez, 92, was a neighborhood fixture, still spry enough to walk the streets for exercise in the mornings, picking up recyclables for extra cash as she went along. On Feb. 2., 2006, she left home dressed in a layer of clothes topped with a red jacket, and pushing a cart to carry cans and bottles, as was her routine.

Somebody stabbed her repeatedly and left her body in front of an apartment complex at 9034 Willis Ave. just south of Nordhoff Street and west of Van Nuys Boulevard. Gutierrez seeks anyone who may have seen anything in the area. Anonymous tips welcome. Call (818) 838-9948.