“If today was a nice day, Anthony probably would’ve gone to work at Rudy’s Meat Market, the store his family owns. After he got off at 3 p.m. he might have gone home to spend time with his mom, sister Monica and her daughter Jasmine. Then he’d probably call his girlfriend, Sagrario, to come over for his favorite—pepperoni pizza. Around 5:30 he’d most likely drop off his girlfriend in the blue-and-white 69 Volkswagon he had been fixing up. Then he’d probably go to night school to study for his high school diploma. That might be his goal in life right now… well, that and marrying his girlfriend. Yeah, he could be doing all of this but he is not.
Anthony Escobedo was 17 when he was shot. He died on January 26, 1998, near his house in Pico Rivera.
That same morning he had told his grandparents he was going to change, according to interviews with his mom and sister. He was going to get his G.E.D., stop wearing baggy pants and let his hair grow out. His family always got on his case for the way he dressed because they worried that people would think he was a gangbanger. But he wasn’t in a gang; it’s just a look.
When Anthony got home from Rudy’s Meat Market that afternoon, he hung out with his girlfriend, his sister and his niece, playing a video game. Just before nine, his girlfriend needed to go home. He said he’d walk with her. She tried to convince him to let her go on her own, but he refused to let her walk home in the dark.
On his way back, when he reached his block, right there at the intersection of Layman Avenue and Harrell Street, a white Chrysler LeBaron convertible pulled up. Ivan Morales, 18, got out of the car and opened fire on him. One bullet hit Anthony from the side, entering his heart as he turned to run. After he fell to the ground, Ivan stepped forward and fired again. This time the bullet entered his leg. Two other bullets missed their mark. Then Ivan and the driver, Mike Pozo, 20, took off.
The killers were caught right away
Anthony’s assailants were stopped on the freeway for a traffic violation 15 minutes after they killed Anthony. The weapon used on Anthony, a black-and-brown handgun, was found the next day not far from where the two men were arrested. A 10-year-old boy stepped on it on his way to school, and turned it in to the police.
Why did they shoot Anthony? The police called it “gang-related.” Ivan Morales was in a gang, but Anthony wasn’t, according to his family. Anthony’s sister said Anthony had met Ivan once a few years ago, but they barely knew each other.
During the trial, Ivan said Anthony had threatened him, according to an article in the Whittier Daily News. He said he fired in self defense, and pleaded not guilty. Based on the evidence—Anthony had no weapon, the gunshot residue on Ivan’s hands matched the residue on Anthony and a bullet shell in Ivan’s car came from the gun that killed him—Ivan and Mike got two consecutive life sentences. The trial was painful for Anthony’s sister and mother. For example, Ivan laughed when his sister Monica held up pictures of her brother. Mike Pozo’s father treated them poorly. Monica said he yelled at them, saying that they were the ones who were making a big problem.
Their home seemed empty
Knowing their loss, it was hard for me to interview his sister and mom. Monica answered the door and invited me in with a smile. There was a sense of emptiness in the house. All I heard was the clanging of some dishes in the kitchen, video game music, and Jasmine’s doll singing “Ring Around the Rosie.” They had so many stories about Anthony. His mom remembered when he was three years old, and she found him with no jacket in the rain, watching his grandfather work on a car. Monica recalled how he would get away with almost anything, even though she was older. Monica said Anthony kept her laughing—she felt better if he was around. When he went over to his friends’ house, she’d get bored. She’d call, ask what he was doing, and say that Mom wanted him home.
When they showed me his room, it was exactly the way I want my room to be. On his dark blue walls, he had pasted glow-in-the-dark stars and painted comets and stardust clouds. He blocked off the window with tin foil so it looks like you’re in space. On one wall, he started painting a dragon he never got to finish. He even dripped candles over a bottle to get a volcano-looking effect.
The clothes he died in are neatly folded next to family photos, his favorite colognes, angels, letters that people left at his memorial and the candle that the family keeps lit for him. Occasionally his girlfriend comes by to drop off letters for him. They stack up, unopened, on one corner of his desk.
Monica explained that by holding a car wash and collecting money from friends, the family raised more than $5,000 for Anthony’s funeral. At Resurrection Cemetery in Rosemead, Anthony shares a headstone and plot with his favorite uncle, Jesse, who had died the previous year.
His mom remembers
the sound of the gunshots
His mom told me she was upstairs when she heard the gunshots. She counted them in her head—there were four—and she heard a car speed down the street. She ran downstairs like she always did to check on her family, but the living room was empty. Her daughter Monica ran inside screaming “It’s Anthony!” Then everything seemed to go in slow motion, Maria remembered. She couldn’t really hear anything anymore. Outside on the corner she saw her son on the ground dead.
The police wouldn’t let her touch him so as not to disturb the evidence. His body was left uncovered for an hour. Little Jasmine (she was only four) didn’t understand why he was laying on the ground. Monica put Jasmine in the house but Jasmine kept running back out to be with Anthony.
Jasmine was really close to Anthony. He played with her and the other neighborhood kids when he was hanging out with his girlfriend. He always seemed to have a little candy or money for them.
His niece said she could see him
Anthony’s mother and sister didn’t talk that much about their own feelings, but they couldn’t get over Jasmine’s reactions to Anthony’s death. Once at the grocery store, Jasmine pointed up and said, “Look, Anthony’s flying.” Another time Maria heard Jasmine laughing really hard. The little girl said that Anthony was tickling her. Monica and Maria started believing in angels and putting them all over the house.
For Halloween Jasmine wanted to be a witch so she could fly up to Anthony. When she is in the car she asks her mom to turn the radio to Anthony’s favorite stations, Mega 100 or Power 106.
Maria and Monica thought that Anthony died alone. But last December—two days before Christmas—neighbors sent a letter, saying they were with him when he died.
After his killers took off, three neighbors ran out to him, while a fourth called the police. One neighbor held Anthony’s hand. “Where does it hurt? Does it hurt here? Does it hurt there?” Anthony kept saying “No.”
He tried to keep him talking, asking “What happened?.. What’s your name?… Do you like to play football?” Anthony started mumbling, took his last breath and died.”