On April 8, 2023, 5-year-old Eliyanah Crisostomo was tragically killed in a freeway shooting on Interstate 880 near Fremont, California. Eliyanah was traveling with her family to a birthday dinner when their vehicle was fired upon by occupants of a red Honda Accord. A bullet struck Eliyanah, who was seated in the third row next to her brother, piercing her heart and leading to her untimely death.
In the aftermath of this senseless act, law enforcement agencies launched an intensive investigation. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Fremont Police Department collaborated to identify and apprehend the suspects. Their efforts led to the arrest of three individuals: 29-year-old Humberto Anaya and 27-year-old Emmanuel Sarango, both from Fremont, and 25-year-old Kristo Ayala Valderrama from Pleasanton. The suspects were located and arrested in Santa Cruz following a pursuit on Highway 17.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged all three suspects with murder and multiple counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle. Investigations revealed that the suspects, alleged members of the Fremont Sureño gang, mistakenly targeted the Crisostomo family's vehicle, believing it belonged to a rival gang. Prior to the fatal shooting, the suspects were involved in a separate incident where they fired at a pedestrian in Fremont; fortunately, no injuries were reported in that case.
The tragic loss of Eliyanah has deeply affected her family and the local community. She was remembered as a fun-loving child who was close to her siblings and was looking forward to her sixth birthday, which was just days away. Community members and local authorities have expressed their condolences and emphasized the urgent need to address gun violence to prevent such tragedies in the future.
