The reward for information leading to the resolution of the decade-old cold-case killing of a 4-year-old Altadena boy has been increased to $85,000.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved reinstating the reward and increasing it by $10,000 during a session on Tuesday. The victim's grandmother, Juana Esparza, expressed hope that the enhanced reward would encourage witnesses to come forward. "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," Esparza stated in a news release. "If you know something — anything — we beg you to come forward and give us closure."
The young victim, Salvador Esparza, was shot and killed on July 5, 2016, while on the porch of a relative's residence. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, an assailant approached the home in the 500 block of Figueroa Drive and opened fire on individuals present. The perpetrator subsequently fled the scene in a dark-colored vehicle.
Investigators at the time suggested that the intended target may have been a 27-year-old gang member who was also at the location and sustained injuries during the shooting. The reward, initially set at $20,000 when the investigation began in August 2016, has seen incremental increases over the past decade from the Board of Supervisors as efforts to find clues in the case have continued.
The Board of Supervisors indicated that the increased reward signifies a renewed commitment to generating leads in the nearly ten-year-old homicide investigation and delivering justice to the Esparza family. Supervisor Kathryn Barger affirmed this sentiment, stating, "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."
