Whittier woman kidnapped from car during shooting; family desperate for her safe return
A Whittier family is desperately hoping for the return of Andrea Vasquez, the 19-year-old woman who was kidnapped during a shooting early Sunday morning.
Vasquez was last seen just after midnight in the parking lot of Penn Park, located at 13950 Penn Street, according to a statement from Whittier Police Department.
She was in the car with her boyfriend, when an armed suspect approached the car and began firing shots in their direction.
"The male witness ran from the location and upon his return, discovered blood near his vehicle and his female companion was missing," the statement said.
Vasquez is described as a Hispanic female who stands around 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs around 103 pounds. She has brownish-red hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black, long-sleeve crop top, khaki pants and black, low-top Converse shoes.
Police also noted that she has a tattoo on the back of her neck that says "Edlyn," and a tattoo of the Aries constellation on her right hand. She also has a belly button piercing.
Vasquez's family is desperate for her safe return.
"It's a pain nobody deserves," said her mother, Anna. "She was my everything."
"It's hard to get rest, it just feels guilty to even sleep," said Vasquez's older sister, Edlyn. "She's a homebody. She was my best friend."
She says that she tracked Andrea's phone to Moreno Valley.
"When I got to that spot, that night, police were called. They had drones, they had canines, they had a lot of people searching that area," she said. "But, we don't really know much more."
As of now, there is no suspect description available, but investigators are reported to be working on multiple leads.
They're asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has additional information to contact them at (562) 567-9255.
