Maria Del Carmen Menchaca

Murdered
Case Description
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On July 6, 2008, 7-year-old Maria Del Carmen Menchaca was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting while playing in the front yard of her home in Salt Lake City's Glendale neighborhood. The intended target was her older cousin, Luis Menchaca, involved in a gang dispute. The bullet missed its mark, fatally striking Maria instead.

The perpetrators were quickly identified and apprehended. Gabriel Alejandro Alvarez, then 16, fired the fatal shot. He was accompanied by 20-year-old Frank Puga ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (12)
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  • 'I didn't mean to kill anybody,' man who shot 7-year-old girl tells parole board

    •     ...View 11 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Maria Del Carmen Menchaca

    Female

    Hispanic / Latino

    Salt-lake-city

    UT

    2008-07-06

    7

    Maria

    Del Carmen Menchaca

    01/02/2025

    Forum Posts (2)
    I've been following Maria Del Carmen Menchaca's case closely, and one aspect that really sticks with... ...Read More
    04/06/2024
    Hey everyone, I've been thinking a lot about how tragically Maria's story unfolded. Her death was a ... ...Read More
    04/27/2023
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