Relatives Of Santa Ana Murder Victim Speak Out After Suspects' Arrests
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — Relatives of a late Santa Ana woman have spoken out following the arrest of two serial murder suspects investigators believe are responsible for her death.
Franc Cano, 27, and Steven Dean Gordon, 45, both of Anaheim, were arrested in connection to the deaths of four women in Orange County last week.
Officers from the Anaheim and Santa Ana police departments, who led a joint investigation into their disappearances, declined to speak further about the arrests Sunday.
However, the mother of one of the victims, 28-year-old Martha Anaya, says Santa Ana police told her Saturday her daughter's body had been found.
"She's glad that they are under arrest," Herlinda Salcedo told CBS2's Art Barron through a translator.
"Although it did cause her daughter's death, it's not going to happen to other women out there."
The victim's daughter, Melody Garcia, said she has no remorse for the suspects.
"I knew my mom was a strong woman and I thought she could go through anything and come out alive. You deserve to rot in jail and I hope you are in there for life," Garcia said.
Anaya's cousin, Diana Farjardo, shared that her family now can finally begin grieving.
"It's closure for us because they found her. It's just not the way that we hoped to find her," she said.
The knock on Salcedo's door came one day after Cano and Gordon were arrested for the March 14 murder of 21-year-old Jarrae Nykkole Estepp at an Anaheim recycling plant.
Santa Ana police soon joined Anaheim homicide detectives, looking into the mysterious disappearances of three other women in Santa Ana missing since late last year: 34-year-old Josephine Vargas, 20-year-old Kianna Jackson and 28-year-old Anaya.
Following Friday's arrests, investigators concluded Saturday the three missing women in Santa Ana were murdered at the hands of the two men.
Anaya's family said police will not reveal details on how she was murdered.
CBS2's Cristy Fajardo obtained documents Sunday night that revealed both suspects had been arrested and convicted in 2012 of traveling to Nevada and failing to register as sex offenders.
Cano and Gordon both remain in custody at Orange County jails. They are expected to be arraigned early next week.
Homicide detectives are asking law enforcement agencies across the country to check missing person cases to see if two suspected serial killers could be connected to more murders.
A press conference about the investigation is scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m.
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