Gunman’s 4 Victims Mourned

A family shattered by a gunman with a raging obsession for his ex-girlfriend gathered Wednesday in front of their Rosemead home to mourn four loved ones as police continued searching for the killer.

“I can’t . . . I can’t believe it!” sobbed a 40-year-old woman, who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by the attacker before being released Tuesday morning. She kissed and cradled a picture of the victims and, minutes later, fainted on the lawn.

The woman’s niece rushed to her, dousing her with water and pleading, “You must be strong, Auntie. You must be strong.” She woke up trembling.

The woman had not been home since Monday night, when Evelio Rivera Zacarias, 41, allegedly stormed into the house and began shooting in a fit of jealousy. His former girlfriend was dating one of the men at the home, officials said.

The gunman shot six people, killing four: the kidnapped woman’s husband, Victor; her brother, Jaime Pacheco, 48, the apparent target of the attack; her other brother, Oscar Pacheco, 37; and Oscar’s 13-year-old son, Andy Pacheco.

Andy was a top student and athlete, known for befriending both popular and lonely students at Temple Intermediate School. One card found on the doorstep of his home read: “You were a friend when no one else would be. Even though it wasn’t your time to go, I’ll miss you and will never forget you.”

Sheriff’s detectives continued searching for Zacarias on Wednesday, but said they had no solid leads.

“We are told that if he didn’t stay in the area, he’s in Mexico,” said Det. Frank Gonzales.

Zacarias is a construction worker who grew up in Zacatecas and now lives in La Puente. Detectives said he had grown violent toward his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his two sons. She had moved in with Jaime Pacheco in March and was granted a restraining order against Zacarias in April but it was never served, sheriff’s detectives said. They didn’t know why.

On Monday night, the ex-girlfriend, whose name has not been released, apparently escaped through the back door when the gunfire began. Three others were killed in the home, and Andy was hunted down and killed in front of a neighbor’s house, where the bloody imprint of his lanky body remained the following day.

His mother and 17-year-old cousin, whose names were not released, were wounded and remained hospitalized at County-USC Medical Center. Zacarias, described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 160 pounds, allegedly threatened to come back and kill others.

The family has been taken to a safe place, Gonzales said. But their future seems ominous.

They had left the poverty of their native El Salvador and were working their way up the economic ladder in California, as the three men in the family obtained increasingly better jobs.

Now all three are dead, and the rest are wondering what they are going to do. No one else in the household of about 10 is employed.

“They don’t even know how they’re going to send the bodies back to El Salvador,” said Elvia Aguilar, a relative of the victims.

Friends of Andy Pacheco said they are going to hold a carwash to raise money for the family. Many of them came to the simple stucco home on Wednesday to leave flowers, votive candles and notes of remembrance. Some cried; others stood silent.

Nearby, a pink Barbie pedal-Corvette and an inflatable swimming pool sat in the yard.

In the evening, the family held a news conference at the house on Walnut Grove Avenue to ask for help from the public.

“This killer is still at large and he’ll kill for any reason right now,” said the brother of the wounded woman, who only gave his first name, Eddie.

Nearby, Marina Ortiz, 14, and her friends huddled around a chain-link fence. For the last couple of days, they have done little but commiserate over Andy’s death, meeting at a friend’s house, not sleeping or eating. Marina was Andy’s girlfriend, and she came to the home Wednesday wearing his striped, pale blue shirt. Laughing at the memory of his jokes, the way he pinched her cheeks and his constant smile, she said they had planned to get married. Then she choked up: “He didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

Rene Hernandez, Andy’s teacher, said the sixth-grader “had such a bright future. His dream was to play football at UCLA. . . . He was a good student and an excellent athlete.”

Hernandez said Andy’s father and mother were active in their son’s education and wanted to see him become a professional. “The father was such a good, humble man,” she said.

Windy Jimenez, 14, said Andy was one of her best friends. “He was always there for you,” she said, placing a carnation on the doorstep. “He was friends with everyone. He didn’t care who you were.”

That thought seemed to resonate through all the notes about the young boy, who would have begun his freshman year at San Gabriel High School this year. One girl wrote: “You knew my ups and downs. You took the time to get to know me. Well, once again, I love you. Friends for life.”

Hernandez and others have set up a fund for the family: the Pacheco/Flores Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 2077, Rosemead, CA 91770.