Yancy Dayanara Alachan-Cruz, a 42-year-old Latina, tragically lost her life on April 2, 2017, in Huntington Park, California. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning after Alachan-Cruz had spent the night at the Margarita Jones nightclub located on Pacific Boulevard. She left the club around 2 a.m. with three friends, all of whom were Latino.
As they traveled north on Pacific Boulevard and stopped at a red light at Clarendon Avenue, a dark-colored vehicle pulled up beside their car. Without warning, someone in the dark vehicle began shooting into their car. Alachan-Cruz, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was struck in the head. The driver was hit in the right arm, and a back-seat passenger sustained grazing wounds to the head and leg. Another passenger in the back seat was unharmed. The driver managed to continue to a nearby hospital, where Alachan-Cruz was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m. The other two injured passengers were treated and released from the hospital.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, specifically the Homicide Bureau, took charge of the investigation. Despite their efforts, the investigators were unable to determine a motive for the shooting or identify the shooter or the suspect vehicle. The case remains unsolved, with no arrests made or suspects identified. The authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward, offering anonymity through Crime Stoppers.
The community and friends of Alachan-Cruz were deeply affected by her untimely death. They initiated a fundraising campaign to send her body back to Honduras, her country of origin. The investigation into her murder continues, with the hope that new leads or information might eventually bring justice for Alachan-Cruz and her family.
