Fathers share grief where children died; Homicide investigation continues; final names disclosed

Murders update: 10 p.m. 6/27/05

The three fathers of four children murdered last week were grieving together near the crime scene Monday night.

"It's something I can't even believe," said Danny Heredia Jr., father of 6-year-old Danny Heredia III. "It feels like a nightmare."

Late Monday night the Yuma Police Department released the names of Andreas Crawford, 13, and Enrique Bedoya, 12, the two older sons of Adrienne Heredia. Police have not disclosed how Heredia and her four children were murdered in their home Friday night. Heredia, 30, was also the mother of Inez Newman, 9, and Danny Heredia III.

Kenneth Crawford, father of Andreas and Enrique, said Monday night that he was told of his son's murder Saturday night. "I came back from Los Angeles, and someone with the boxing club told me," he said.

However, authorities had declined to release the names of the boys until Monday because police were trying to locate him, according to police spokesman Clint Norred.

Luis Rios, Adrienne Heredia's boyfriend, was also killed. He was found in the back yard of the home with gunshot wounds.

William C. Newman Jr. was at work when authorities informed him that Heredia and his daughter Inez had been murdered.

"People don't think this type of thing happens to them," Newman said, "but when it does, it hits hard."

Heredia Jr., who said he was still married to Adrienne Heredia at the time of her death, said the funeral arrangements for the victims are unknown because the bodies of the deceased have not yet been released to the family. Crawford said the funerals might be "next Thursday or Friday."

Heredia Jr. said there has been good cooperation among the extended families affected by the tragedy.

"You've got three dads involved, and we've all come together," he said. "We're working together. It's great because everyone needs support right now."

Newman said his heart goes out to other families that are going through the same ordeal. "I know that all the other children rest in the hands of the Lord tonight," he said.

Even with the cooperation between the fathers, Heredia Jr. said the family knows little more than the general public. He said the family has been watching press conferences along with everyone else to gauge how the investigation was going.

"We're hoping somebody knows something," he said. "So we can find who did this."

Case update

Yuma police released little new information Monday as they continue to investigate the six-victim homicide that occurred Friday in a residential neighborhood.

Autopsies on the bodies of the six victims were scheduled for Monday, according to Yuma Police Chief Robby Robinson. The autopsies are being done by a forensic pathologist with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office.

"We're not going to comment on their apparent injuries," Robinson said. "I don't think that would be prudent at this time."

The autopsy reports are not expected to be immediately available. Robinson said he will release the cause of death for the five victims in the home at some point in the future.

Lt. John Lekan said that Rios was alive when police reached him in the back yard, but he was not able to offer any information about what had occurred. "He was unresponsive," he said.

Rebecca Rios

A Yuma woman who says she is the wife of Luis Rios says that she believes he may have been in the back yard cooking out for the family.

Rebecca Rios said she has no idea what may have happened. "There's all kinds of stories out there," she said. "Who's to say what happened?"

As to what the police have told her, Rebecca said it has been very little.

"I go by the press conference on TV," she said. It's devastating to hear on the news. It's my husband, and I have a child I have to break the news to."

Rebecca said she had spoken with police Saturday but has generally been ignored by authorities.

"I've been feeling left out of this whole ordeal," she said. "Nobody's called me. I had to call the police myself. I feel left out of it."

Police spokesman Clint Norred said it was difficult for police to be in contact with everyone who was involved in the case. "The investigators have a lot of leads to follow," he said. "I'm not sure of all the people they've contacted, but there are lots of people to interview."

Rebecca said that she and Luis have been married for 12 years and have one child together. Records in Yuma County Superior Court show that paperwork had recently been filed for a dissolution of the marriage.

Although Luis had begun seeing Adrienne Heredia, Rebecca was still hoping for a reconciliation. She said that the two were separated and that around the first of the year Luis, a partner at RC Liquor, 101 E. 24th St., had told her about his relationship with Heredia.

Rebecca and Luis have a 9-year-old daughter and Luis had helped to raise Rebecca's 16-year-old daughter since the girl was 5 years old.

The 9-year-old daughter often played together with Adrienne's children, Rebecca said.

Even if things were not going well in their relationship, Rebecca said she and Luis always talked and always got along. While she was aware that Luis was with Adrienne, Rebecca said she did not even know Adrienne's last name. Rebecca said she does not know the Heredia family.

Agencies involved

Police continue to use the same suspect sketch that was made with the help of a single witness, who said he or she saw a man running from the area Friday night. Robinson said whether there is one suspect or more remains unclear.

Robinson said the case was the top priority for the entire department. "We've got 20 investigators involved, and numerous people have been questioned," he said.

The home remains taped off, and the length of the street remains under controlled access.

The Yuma County Sheriff's Office, Yuma County Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have joined with Yuma police on a task force to investigate the murders.

YCSO Capt. Eben Bratcher said sheriff's detectives were in close contact with YPD investigators on the case. "My guys talk with their guys on a daily basis anyway," Bratcher said. "Whatever help they need, they can just call."

The FBI is offering help on gathering forensic evidence, Robinson said.

A special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Phoenix said the agency is offering assistance to Yuma police but is not heavily involved in the investigation.

"It's a little inaccurate to say that FBI is involved in the investigation," Special Agent Deborah McCarley said. "We're just there as support as they request assistance in whatever capacity that could be. We're just kind of there for them as they are for us."

No agents have been sent from Phoenix, McCarley said. She knew of no other federal help being used in the case.

Norred declined to comment on how much help was being offered by the FBI.

McCarley said the FBI office in Yuma was small, and that often local agents enlisted the help of YPD with their investigations. She said the six-victim homicide is "very much" YPD's investigation.

"We have made ourselves available for any assistance they request," she said. "Obviously, they are using us in this investigation."

McCarley said it was common for police departments that were small or even of medium size to enlist the FBI because of the resources they have available.

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Jeffrey Gautreaux can be reached at jgautreaux@yumasun.com or 539-6858.

Staff Writer Blake Schmidt contributed to this report.