Maria L. Soza

Maria Lourdes Soza, a devoted 32-year-old mother of three, was a cherished member of her family and community in San Francisco, California. Remembered for her deep love for everyone around her, Maria was focused on raising her children, who were 13, 8, and 3 years old at the time of her death. Her life was centered around her family, and her sudden, violent death left them with a wound that would never fully heal.

The afternoon of Tuesday, January 27, 2015, began like any other for Maria. She had just picked up her children from school and was outside their home on Ingalls Street, near Revere Avenue in the Bayview District, watching them play. At approximately 4:15 p.m., the neighborhood was shattered by a barrage of gunfire. Witnesses reported that as the shots rang out, Maria’s first instinct was to run toward her children to shield them. In that selfless act, she was struck by a stray bullet. Police were alerted to the shooting by a ShotSpotter activation and 911 calls. Arriving officers found Maria on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. They performed CPR before she was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries.

The shooting was a chaotic, rolling gun battle between two vehicles. Investigators determined that passengers in a black Dodge Ram pickup truck had opened fire on a black Infiniti SUV. The gunfire killed the passenger in the Infiniti, 38-year-old Donte Glenn of San Francisco, and seriously wounded the female driver. Maria Soza, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire. Minutes after Maria was shot, Glenn and the injured driver were found less than a mile away in the 200 block of Bayshore Boulevard, after the driver sought help at The Old Clam House restaurant. Glenn also died from his injuries at the hospital.

The San Francisco Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, suspecting the shooting was gang-related. Surveillance footage captured images of the Dodge pickup truck, but the killers escaped, and for years, the case grew cold. Maria’s grieving family pleaded with the public for anyone with information to come forward. "I just want to find the person who shot my mom and I want justice for my mom," her 14-year-old daughter Brianna said at a news conference seven months after the murder. Her father, Jose Soza, speaking through a translator, explained, "She was running to her children to protect her children when this happened." Despite their pleas, no arrests were made for nearly a decade.

The case remained unsolved until the SFPD's homicide cold case unit reopened the investigation. In August 2025, a major breakthrough occurred. Investigators developed probable cause linking a suspect to the murders. On August 18, 2025, police arrested 34-year-old Anthony James Tyree, also known as "Dot Diggla," at his home in Pittsburg, California. A search of his residence uncovered an AR-15-style ghost gun hidden in his bedroom. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office charged Tyree with two counts of murder for the deaths of Maria Soza and Donte Glenn, one count of attempted murder for the injured driver, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Prosecutors alleged that Tyree was one of two passengers in the Dodge pickup who opened fire on the Infiniti. Investigators believe Tyree may have mistaken Donte Glenn for another man in a gang-related dispute. Phone data, text messages, and recorded phone calls made by Tyree while in federal custody on unrelated robbery charges helped investigators build their case. An SFPD investigator wrote in an arrest warrant application that he was "convinced beyond any reasonable doubt, that Anthony Tyree was one of the two shooters."

The arrest brought a new, painful chapter for Maria’s family, who attended Tyree’s initial court hearings via video conference. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins credited the "tireless work" of the cold case unit for the arrest and vowed to "secure justice for Maria Soza, Donte Glenn, and their families." As of August 2025, the investigation was still active, as police had not publicly identified the second shooter. Anthony Tyree was ordered to be held without bail pending trial. The case is a stark reminder of the lasting impact of gun violence and a family’s decade-long wait for answers. Police continue to ask anyone with information to call the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to text a tip to TIP411, starting the message with "SFPD."