Two cops fired for mishandling gruesome UCLA murder case
‘UCLA tried really hard to keep it really low-key last year, so many students do not know about it’
One year ago, a UCLA student was found dead in her burning apartment. Today, NY Daily News reports that two police officers were fired who may have been able to save her.
Andrea DelVesco, a fourth year Psychology and Spanish major, was found burned beyond recognition after having sustained nineteen fatal stab wounds. Her dog, a Chihuahua mix, was also badly injured in the fire and had to be put down.
Four officers responded to her apartment after receiving a 911 call from a fellow resident, Sarah Muhr. Muhr reported hearing screams and a dog barking from DelVesco’s apartment, and also witnessed a man in a tank top and baseball cap fleeing the scene.
Two of the responding officers were Rhoadell Sudduth and Alisha Williams. They arrived to question Muhr and take a look around. According to Mirror News, the officers shone a light into DelVesco’s bedroom but reported seeing nothing. The screaming had stopped, and the officers left within six minutes without entering the apartment. Less than a half hour later, DelVesco’s apartment caught on fire and officials rushed to the scene. Muhr reported seeing the same man in a tank top leaving the apartment after the fire was set.
All of this happened on September 21, 2015. A few days later, LAist reports that Alberto Medina and Eric Marquez were arrested for the murder. They were both 22 at the time and supposedly robbed a nearby apartment before targeting DelVesco. Their preliminary hearing was held earlier this year, resulting in burglary and murder charges for both men according to the LA Times.
Medina (left) and Marquez (right)
Recently, there was a trial regarding the conduct of Sudduth and Williams. DelVesco’s family and friends believe that Angela’s death could have been avoided if they had decided to enter the apartment.
The Daily Mail reports that the defense attorney claimed that the officers did “due diligence” in their response. When they arrived, there was insufficient evidence of a crime. Sudduth and Williams followed up with Muhr and checked for a break-in, but there was no sign of foul play and the screaming had stopped. It was likely that DelVesco was already dead, meaning the officers would not have been able to save her life. Later, a large amount of blood was found underneath DelVesco’s bed, suggesting that she was killed on the floor and explaining why the officers would not have seen her through the window.
The prosecution argued that even if she was already dead, the fire had not been set yet, says The Daily Mail. DelVesco’s family would have had the opportunity to see their daughter and give her a proper goodbye before the fire destroyed her remains. It is also believed that Medina was still in the apartment when the officers were looking around, reports Mirror News.
As a result, Sudduth and Williams have been fired from the police department. The two other rookie officers involved are still employed.
Students support the termination of the two officers. The event was traumatic for many students, but some were unaware of the event. Daanyaal Kumar, a second year MCDB major, says he “remembers hearing about it, but not much.”
“UCLA tried really hard to keep it really low-key last year, so many students do not know about it,” says Michelle White, a second-year Psychology major.
This comes with pros and cons: DelVesco’s murder is not exploited, but students may be unaware of dangers on and around campus. Recently there has been a murder-suicide and two other suicides at UCLA.
Others remember the tragedy and understand its complexities, like Lucia Yang. “It’s a tricky situation,” says the second-year neuroscience major. “You can’t always cage yourself into ‘what ifs’, but I’m glad the department took action.”