A $25,000 reward will be considered Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects responsible for the death of baby Eliza Delacruz.
Police on Monday urged the public to help find the "coward" killer of the abducted 3-week-old girl, whose body was found in a trash bin and whose parents and uncle were shot in their Long Beach home.
"To take a precious child from her home and throw her in a dumpster, like a piece of trash, is something a heartless person would do," said Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna at an afternoon news conference. "We need to get the coward who committed this violent and senseless act off the street, but we absolutely need the public's help."
The body of Eliza Delacruz was found Sunday afternoon in a dumpster at a commercial strip mall in the 600 block of Palm Drive in Imperial Beach, said police spokeswoman Marlene Arrona.
San Diego County authorities said the body was found shortly before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Long Beach police were notified of the discovery around 4:30 p.m., she said.
Family members and friends were heartbroken.
Three weeks ago, just before Thanksgiving, Aaron Cruz's good friend Eddie Delacruz was beyond excited to welcome home his baby girl Eliza.
U.S. & World
"As soon as he had his daughter, he was sending pictures of what the weight was," Cruz said. "We were excited for him. He was going to be a brand-new father."
Cruz has not slept since he learned detectives found Eliza.
"Three weeks old, 21 days of living ... She couldn't defend herself. She couldn't call for help ... this is just, this is just wrong," Cruz said.
According to family friends, the gunman shot the mother and uncle each in the face and the father in the leg.
Well-wishers dropped off flowers at memorials in Long Beach and San Diego through the day Monday to pay their respects for the girl in the disturbing crime.
Cruz said he suspects the Saturday night shooting that left Eliza's father, mother and uncle wounded was not random, nor do detectives with the Long Beach Police Department.
"We haven't received any tips thus far," said Arrona.
Anyone with information about the case was urged to call Long Beach homicide detectives Donald Goodman and Mark Mattia at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
