Elizabeth Yanez wanted to go to the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet. She hadn't been there for over a year and drove there late on a Friday night, the only day of the week that the bazaar stays open past 5pm.
It was about 9:30pm when the 43-year-old Whittier resident pulled into the parking lot. Her two adult children had come along for the trip.
While looking for a space Yanez came to odds with another vehicle, occupied by Reggie Cervantes, aged 22, and his girlfriend, Brenda Rangel, aged 19.
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| Elizabeth Yanez and Daniel Crable via KTLA |
Somehow the concession of the parking spot wasn't enough for Cervantes, who exited his vehicle and tried punching Yanez's windows. Crable got out the vehicle and was slashed in the chest with a knife. According to Crable, Cervantes tried to stab him in the head but missed, punching him instead.
Crable ran from the attack, at which point Cervantes stabbed Yanez in the neck and back and then fled in his vehicle.
Yanez was taken to the UC Irvine Medical Center but died of her injuries.
Police arrested the couple the next day, after finding fingerprints on the Yanez's car. Cervantes had two previous convictions from 2009 and 2010, one for robbery and the other for receiving stolen property.
Both suspects were charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with a special allegation for the knife against Cervantes, and bail was set for both at $1 million. So far the District Attorney's office has not mentioned any plans to pursue the death penalty. A preliminary hearing was set for this past Monday, December 15th.
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| The stained parking spot via KTLA by way of LA Times |
