Suspects Identified In Child's Death In 4th Of July Drive-By Shooting
SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Sacramento County sheriff's detectives have identified three individuals in connection to the death of 3-year-old Jorge Azios.
Gabriel Quintero, 20, Eric Minjares, 17, and Marcus Weber, 16, have all been identified as suspects in this case.
Azios was shot in a 4th of July drive-by shooting in south Sacramento.
He was in a vehicle with his father at the intersection of Loucreta Drive and Palmer House Drive.
Multiple gunshots were fired at them from another vehicle, and Azios was hit several times. He was immediately driven to a hospital but died as a result of his injuries.
His great-grandmother, Sarah Hader, shared some memories of the young boy with CBS13 on Monday.
"He said, I'm about to lose my first tooth Nani,' because he called me Nani," she said.
It would be the last time Hader would see her great-grandson alive.
"He was so sweet, so loving, real nice little boy," she recalled.
A manhunt is now under way as deputies hunt down three people they believe are responsible for taking the toddler's life.
"They're responsible for a very serious crime and they're obviously taking great pains to stay hidden," Deputy Jason Ramos said.
As for what sparked the shooting, he says the trio may have believed someone else was in the car
"That's definitely one of the working theories, that it wasn't so much the driver of the vehicle who was targeted, but who was perceived to be or believed to be driving that vehicle on that given night that might have been the target," he said.
"My little grandson didn't deserve to be killed like that," Hader said.
As a community mourns, the family prepares for a 3-year-old's funeral Tuesday and waits for news of the suspects' arrests.
"If anybody has a lead, to where they are, please, please, please turn them in," Hader said. "For God's sake, justice has to be done."
Quintero is a Hispanic male, 6 feet tall and approximately 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Minjares is a Hispanic male, 5-7 and approximately 135 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Weber is a black male, 5-7 and approximately 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The suspects are believed to have been driving a 1999 white Ford Expedition.
Anyone with any information or knowing the whereabouts of any of these suspects is asked to call the Major Crimes Bureau's tip line at (916) 874-3152 or the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (916) 874-5115. Calls may be made 24 hours a day.
