Raquel Estrada, a 53-year-old Hispanic woman, was tragically killed on October 25, 2011, in her home in Yorba Linda, California. She was found stabbed more than 30 times in the kitchen of her residence, while her son, Juan Herrera, 34, was discovered in the hallway with over 60 stab wounds. The brutal nature of the attack shocked the community and led authorities to immediately launch an investigation into the double homicide.
Initially, Estrada’s 24-year-old son, Eder Herrera, was
arrested and charged with the murders of his mother and brother. Authorities suspected him due to circumstantial evidence, including a witness account and surveillance footage showing a man resembling Herrera near the crime scene. He was held on a $2 million bail and faced the possibility of life in prison if convicted. However, as the investigation progressed, new evidence emerged that pointed to another suspect.
Itzcoatl “Izzy” Ocampo, a 23-year-old former Marine, was later identified as the likely perpetrator. Ocampo had already been charged with the murders of four homeless men in Orange County, and forensic evidence linked him to the killings of Raquel Estrada and Juan Herrera. DNA evidence found at Ocampo’s home matched samples from the crime scene, and the excessive number of stab wounds in the Estrada-Herrera murders closely resembled the pattern seen in the homeless killings.
Authorities determined that Ocampo had a personal connection to the victims, as he had been friends with one of the Herrera brothers since high school and lived just a mile away from their home. The discovery that Ocampo had targeted people he knew, in addition to random victims, added a chilling dimension to the case. He was charged with six counts of murder, including the deaths of Raquel Estrada and Juan Herrera, with special circumstances that made him eligible for the death penalty.
Eder Herrera, who had been jailed for months, was released after the charges against him were dropped. Prosecutors acknowledged that the initial case against him was based on incomplete evidence and that Ocampo was the true suspect. The revelation of Ocampo’s involvement in the murders of Raquel Estrada, a 53-year-old Hispanic woman, and her son underscored the tragic randomness and brutality of his crimes, leaving a lasting impact on the community.
