Police Seek Shooting Victim’s Ex-Boyfriend

Police said Wednesday that they want to question the former boyfriend of a 23-year-old woman who was found shot to death, along with her current boyfriend, inside her apartment this week.

“We have been unsuccessful in our efforts to reach him,” Lt. Robert Helton said of the former boyfriend, who has not been named as a suspect.

“If we can get to the point where we can list him as a suspect, then we will try and get a warrant for his arrest,” Helton said. “It’s going to take a certain level of evidence before we can get to that stage.”

Maria Laura Suarez and 36-year-old Crisanto Flores were found dead Monday afternoon in her third-floor apartment in the 1100 block of West Civic Center Drive.

Neighbors say Suarez, who worked as a cocktail waitress at a Santa Ana nightclub, and her former boyfriend had lived together in the apartment until two months ago, when she forced him to leave.

Art Bautista, assistant manager of the apartment complex, said Suarez had not asked management to change her locks.

The victims had been dead for about 36 hours when their bodies were discovered. A neighbor had reported to the apartment’s maintenance worker Sunday morning that she had heard gunshots, but the worker did not tell management until sometime Monday, Helton said.

“There was a lengthy delay as far as notifying the manager,” Helton said. “We don’t know why he didn’t report it right away.”

Bautista said the double murder has residents frightened.

“It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you are in . . . anything can happen,” Bautista said. “It could happen anywhere to anyone.”

Said neighbor Max Mendez: “It happened right in front of my house. There are no security guards here. Anyone can get up here. I’m moving this month.”