Gov. Newsom announces rewards for information in unsolved killings of two Orange County residents

Gov. Gavin Newsom is providing rewards of $50,000 every for info resulting in the arrests and convictions within the longstanding unsolved killings of two Orange County residents.

The victims within the two separate circumstances have been Victoria Barrios, 18, who was fatally wounded in a drive-by taking pictures in Santa Ana in 2019, and Alan Jay Schwalbe, 61, who was stabbed to dying in his residence in Costa Mesa in 1993.

Barrios was strolling with two buddies simply after midnight on Aug. 30, 2019, close to 500 E. Pine Road, when a pink four-door, presumably a Chevrolet Tahoe, handed by and somebody inside fired a number of rounds, in line with surveillance video discovered by murder detectives. Barrios died on the scene and one other man close by was injured.

The taking pictures was thought of to be gang-related, however police don’t suppose Barrios or the person who was injured have been the meant targets.

Barrios’ household didn’t gave up looking for leads. Her mom Eva Barrios put up billboards all through Orange County saying “Who Killed My Daughter?”, asking anybody with info to contact authorities. Two years after Barrios’s dying, the household unveiled a mural in her honor at Santa Ana’s Blue Lot artwork house that was additionally meant to encourage witnesses to return ahead.

“Victoria was a sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and buddy. She was bold, fun-loving, and type hearted,” says a message on a Justice For Victoria Barrios web site arrange by the household to solicit info within the case. “Victoria and our household deserve justice!”

Eva Barrios described her ongoing grief earlier this week to followers on a public Fb web page the household created for Victoria.

“I’ll by no means actually know the right way to ‘handle’ my new norm,” she wrote. “I do understand that issues will NEVER be the identical with out you, child woman.”

Investigators stated they’ve exhausted all of their leads within the case. They’re asking anybody who has details about Barrios’ homicide to name Santa Ana murder detectives at (714) 245-8390.

The homicide of Schwalbe occurred on August 11, 1993. The 61-year-old actual property investor and well-known homosexual activist was discovered stabbed to dying within the kitchen of his residence within the 300 block of twenty second Road in unincorporated Costa Mesa. The water was nonetheless operating within the sink when Schwalbe’s physique was found, family members advised The Instances then. There have been indicators of a battle however no proof of a compelled entry, the Orange County Sheriff’s Division stated.

The division reexamined the case in 2022, hoping that new forensic know-how would assist attain a breakthrough.

Anybody with details about Schwalbe’s homicide is requested to contact Investigator Bob Taft with the Orange County Sheriff’s Division’s chilly case unit at (714) 647-7055 or coldcase@ocsheriff.gov.

The rewards in every of the circumstances are made potential by the state’s crime-tip program, which permits legislation enforcement companies to ask the governor to supply quantities of as much as $50,000 for info that ends in the arrests and convictions of perpetrators in sure unsolved circumstances and as much as $100,000 for crimes in opposition to first responders and arsons concentrating on locations or worship.