Reward jumps to $85,000 in cold-case killing of Altadena 4-year-old shot on a relative’s porch
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- Los Angeles County supervisors raised the reward to $85,000 in the decade-old killing of 4-year-old Salvador “Chavita” Esparza, hoping new money will finally result in crucial tips.
- The Altadena boy was fatally shot on a relative’s porch in 2016 when a gunman opened fire on a group, possibly targeting an adult gang member, who survived.
- The boy’s family and county leaders are renewing their plea for witnesses to come forward, saying justice is long overdue.
A reward for information that could solve the cold-case killing of a 4-year-old Altadena boy has jumped to $85,000.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved reinstating the reward in the decade-old slaying and increasing it by $10,000.
“We hope that with this reward reinstated, someone out there is willing to come forward and give us answers that can bring justice and peace to my family,” said Juana Esparza, grandmother of the young victim, in a news release. “If you know something — anything — we beg you to come forward and give us closure.”
The boy, Salvador “Chavita” Esparza, was shot and killed on the porch of a relative’s home in July 2016.
Salvador was shot July 5, when a man walked up to a home in the 500 block of Figueroa Drive and began shooting at people on the porch, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The gunman fled in a dark-colored car, investigators said. Authorities at the time believed that the target might have been a 27-year-old gang member who was at the home. He was injured in the attack but survived, The Times reported.
When the investigation began in August of that year, the reward was $20,000. Over the last decade, the reward has been incrementally increased by the Board of Supervisors as the search continues for any clues in the case. In the last update, the reward increased by $10,000, according to the county motion.
The increased reward represents a renewed effort to generate leads in the homicide investigation and bring justice to the Esparza family, the Board of Supervisors said in a news release.
“Little Salvador’s life was taken in a senseless act of violence a decade ago, but our commitment to seeking justice for him and his family remains unchanged,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement.
Former Times staff writer Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report.
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