Details Emerge in Pico Rivera Slayings

A more detailed and chilling account has emerged of events that unfolded inside a Pico Rivera home where four members of a family were fatally stabbed.

“Right now, it’s a puzzle that we’re trying to piece together,” sheriff’s homicide Lt. Marilyn Baker said Saturday.

The killer attacked early Friday morning while the victims slept. Slain in the rampage were Richard Flores, 42, and his children Richard, 17; Sylvia 13; and Matthew, 10. Flores’ wife, Sylvia, 39, was injured and remains hospitalized. Three other daughters escaped injury.

Sheriff’s Department sources said they compiled a version of the crime from interviews with the surviving daughters and their mother.

Apparently, Monica Diaz, 16, awoke--possibly after 1 a.m. Friday--to use the bathroom. Although sheriff’s deputies had previously said she was sharing a room with her two 18-year-old siblings, officials said they have since learned that Monica was sleeping in the same bed with her younger sister, Sylvia, who was later stabbed to death. (Monica is the niece of the elder Sylvia Flores; she and her sister, Laura Reta, 18, were adopted by the Floreses after their mother died.)

As Monica went to the bathroom, she heard footsteps that she did not recognize, sources said. She ran inside the bathroom, where she remained, scared, for some time. She may have even fallen asleep in the bathroom, but that remained unclear.

Much later, Monica heard more footsteps and the sound of someone running. Then she heard her older sister scream for help.

Esperanza Flores, 18, awoke after she heard “a thud,” believed to have been her father falling in the hallway just outside his bedroom. She heard another loud sound, believed to have been her father falling again, and then she apparently jumped out of bed. At that point, sheriff’s deputies said, her father told her to get help and her mother called from her bed for her daughter to call 911.

Because the telephone was off the hook, Esperanza ran outside the house, where she and a neighbor called 911 shortly after 3 a.m.

Monica, meanwhile, did not come out of the bathroom until she heard the voices of her family, sheriff’s sources said.

Those sources also revealed that a bloody knife was found outside the back door of the home, and that a flashlight believed to have been used by the suspect was found inside.

It did not appear that anything was taken from the home, nor did it appear that there was any forced entry into the house. Many windows had been left open, apparently because it was a warm evening. Neighbors have said the Flores children sometimes left the door unlocked as well.

Meanwhile, coroner’s officials began their investigation into the slayings on Saturday.

Detectives had not learned of any friends or associates who had experienced trouble with members of the family. Baker said the investigation is in a preliminary stage.

Shortly after the attack, Sylvia Flores described her assailant as a cleanshaven Latino man in his 20s. He was wearing a white tank top, blue shorts and a blue bandanna.

Forensic evidence is crucial to the investigation, including whether fingerprints can be recovered from the knife and flashlight. Those tests and others will take some time to complete.

In Pico Rivera, friends and neighbors grieved the loss of a well-loved family, one that was deeply involved in the life of the community. Richard Flores coached Pop Warner football, youth baseball and youth basketball. Several of the children played competitive sports.

“It’s really hit the core of the community and everything that people believe in this community,” said the Rev. Joshua Lee, pastor of St. Hilary Catholic Church, where the family worships.

Lee visited Sylvia and Esperanza Flores on Saturday. He described Sylvia Flores as emotionally numb, but relying on her faith to deal with the tragedy.

The front lawn of the home on Marjorie Street has been transformed into a memorial for the slain. Mourners have left dozens of candles, bouquets and handwritten notes. A 13-year-old left a basketball in memory of his friend Sylvia, who shared his love for the sport.

“Baller 4 Life, 2 Sylvia, Love, Richie Garcia,” the inscription on the ball reads.

Saturday morning, a small group of people stood outside the family home. Four women knelt in front of the makeshift memorial, offering prayers in Spanish. Many of those gathered at the house were teenagers. Some wore basketball jerseys.

El Rancho High School has planned a bake sale and carwash to raise funds for the family. The church will conduct a prayer service tonight at 7:30 to help residents cope with the loss, Lee said.

“I feel like the alarm clock is going to go off any second and I’ll wake up from this horrible dream,” Lee said.