Suspected Sureño gang members arrested in Eliyanah Crisostomo slaying on I-880 in Fremont
FREMONT -- Three suspected gang members have been arrested in the fatal shooting of 5-year-old Eliyanah Crisostomo as she rode in a family car on Interstate 880 in Fremont and were being held in Alameda County jail, authorities said Friday.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office said 29-year-old Fremont resident Humberto Anaya, 25-year-old Pleasanton resident Kristo Ayala Valderrama and 27-year-old Fremont resident Emmanuel Sarango were each charged with one count murder, for the girl's death. They were additionally charged with seven counts each of shooting at an occupied vehicle, as well as additional charges from an unrelated assault earlier that day.
The suspects, members of the Fremont Sureño gang, were driving a red Honda Accord that was later located in Santa Cruz, where the defendants were caught and arrested following a pursuit on Highway 17 by CHP officers and police from Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.
All three were were expected to be arraigned on the amended complaint on Friday at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
According to the District Attorney's Office, the defendants flashed gang signals and fired into the car Eliyanah was riding in with her family, believing it was a rival gang car. They flashed gang symbols before purposefully firing into the vehicle, authorities said.
Earlier in the day, all three defendants were also involved in an assault, according to the DA's office, resulting in charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. In addition, both Ayala and Anaya were carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm on one's person in a city.
About 15 minutes before the murder, Fremont Police responded to a shooting on the 37000 block of Fremont Boulevard. The victim was walking on Fremont Boulevard when the suspect vehicle, a red Honda Accord, drove by. Someone in the car commented about the red clothing the victim was wearing; two people then got out of the car and shot at the victim who ran away and was not hit.
"My heart goes out to Eliyanah's family. There is no reason young children should die on our Bay Area freeways," said Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in a prepared statement. "This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. We will not stand for gun violence and these three defendants will be held accountable for their despicable actions."
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- Eliyanah Crisostomo shooting: I-880 in Fremont closed for hours in search for clues
- Family friend's heartbreaking details of little Eliyanah Crisostomo's tragic death
As the search intensified for the shooters this week, a heartbroken family friend through tears has shared details surrounding the freeway shooting death.
Ashley told KPIX that several people were in the car at the time of the shooting, but Eliyanah was the only one that was hit.
"Everyone else was okay. And she probably died instantly," said Ashley. "I mean, I looked at the bullet holes on the side of that vehicle. There's no way a 5-year-old could survive that."
She choked back tears as she described the final moments of Eliyanah's life. She was sitting next to her brother, who's 11 months older, in the back of the family's SUV when she was hit by gunfire on southbound 880 in Fremont.
The shooting happened a day before Easter, and less than a week before her 6th birthday.
"They had Easter baskets on the kitchen table," said Ashley. "Her brother won't even open his. He said, 'Mom I can't open my Easter basket because my sister's not here.'"
Ashley said the family first went to Outback Steakhouse in Fremont for a birthday dinner, but it was closed. So they decided to head to the one in Milpitas.
"All of a sudden, their life changed. Gunshots," she said. "They didn't know what to do. They drove a little faster to try to get away."
The family spotted a CHP officer who was conducting an unrelated traffic stop along the highway.
"They jumped out of the car and said: 'Help me! Help me!'" said Ashley. "She was hunched over in the backseat, and they pulled her out and tried to resuscitate."
No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified.
"She loved Disneyland, she loved Minnie Mouse, she loved her shrimp with white rice and butter," said Ashley. "We're trying to celebrate her life right now."
Ashley added that the GoFundMe will contribute to funeral costs, but also to a new vehicle for the family.
