Sacramento quadruple-murder suspect appears in court
The man accused of murdering four people in a South Land Park home last week is scheduled to hear those charges read against him Monday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. Meanwhile, a shocked community is beginning the slow process of returning to normality after an emotional weekend vigil to mourn the victims.
Salvador Vasquez-Oliva, 56, is being held in jail with no bail, accused of killing Angelique Vasquez, 45, her daughter Mia Vasquez, 14, son Alvin Vasquez, 11, and Vasquez’s niece, Ashley Coleman, 21.
The crime occurred in the trim ranch-style home on 35th Avenue that VasquezOliva shared with at least three of his victims, according to property records. Police have said little about the crime, including whether Vasquez-Oliva and Vasquez were married.
Vasquez-Oliva was arrested Thursday morning in San Francisco a few hours after Sacramento police found the four bodies during a welfare check prompted by a concerned family member.
Police investigators on Sunday concluded four days of analysis in the home just west of Gloria Drive, taking down the yellow crime scene tape that had blocked 35th Avenue for days.
“It is our hope that other residents of the neighborhood can begin returning to a more typical routine,” Sacramento Police Department spokesman Matt McPhail said in a statement. “We know this event has had an impact on many people, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we work through the meticulous process of investigating a case such as this.”
With the police tape gone, a memorial of candles and stuffed animals sprung up Sunday morning on the front lawn of the home with neatly pruned hedges and basketball hoop in the driveway.
Monét Burtley, 14, and her mother, Monique Burtley, walked up to the corner of 35th Avenue and Gloria Drive Saturday evening and joined about 60 mourners, including friends, co-workers, schoolmates, neighbors and city leaders, at a memorial vigil.
In her hands, Monét held a white sign reading: “Rest in peace Mia and Alvin. We miss you.”
The teen said she had last seen her friend and fellow Sam Brannan Middle School eighth-grader Mia Vasquez on Tuesday. She described the 14-year-old and her brother, Alvin, as sporty siblings. Mia liked to play soccer, while Alvin was a basketball player.
“They were really outgoing and generous people,” she said. “They didn’t deserve this.”