One Year Later: The Search For Norma Lopez’s Killer

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Norma Angelica Lopez, an unsolved case that a former Moreno Valley official said should serve as a reminder to all about the need to make children’s safety a top priority.

On July 15, 2010, Norma was snatched as she walked through a field in the 27300 block of Cottonwood Avenue. Her remains were discovered five days later, about 2 1/2 miles away, near a dirt road in a remote area of east Moreno Valley.

The case attracted national attention and inspired local residents to organize searches, fundraisers and memorials for the teenager, who would have graduated from Valley View High School in June. A posthumous diploma was provided to her family.

“There’s a very small town atmosphere here, even though it’s a city,” former Moreno Valley Mayor Bonnie Flickinger told City News Service. “When something horrendous like this happens, everybody is activated.”

Last July, Flickinger and the city council approved a $35,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of Norma’s killer.

Flickinger also helped organize the “Never Again” campaign in the wake of the murder, emphasizing the need for kids and families to plan how to keep from being victimized.

“We don’t want another family to go through what Norma’s family has gone through,” she said. “This young lady was alone, in a deserted area, when this character came along and grabbed her. We want to be absolutely certain this never happens again.”

She said the Never Again project stresses that youngsters walk in pairs and remain vigilant about their surroundings.

“You just don’t know who’s out there,” Flickinger said.

Norma’s death has never left her thoughts.

“You just have to be patient and wait for something to break,” she said. “As soon as there’s enough evidence, they’ll arrest the perpetrator.”

Riverside County sheriff’s Capt. John Anderson, the police chief of Moreno Valley, said detectives are continuing to work the case and follow up “any and all leads.”

“We are constantly reviewing the investigation to ensure that no stone is left unturned,” Anderson told CNS. “Norma’s murder was a senseless, tragic act which impacted everyone in the community. I believe that every parent in the area was affected by her murder.”

He vowed that detectives would not stop investigating the case “until we have found Norma’s killer — or killers — and brought justice to Norma’s family.”

In an interview earlier this year, the lawman said investigators identified several “persons of interest” in the weeks following the girl’s death, but none of them panned out.

He would not disclose whether Norma was sexually assaulted, but acknowledged that all sex registrants who live in the region had been “looked at pretty thoroughly.”

Under California Penal Code section 290, convicted sex offenders are required to keep law enforcement informed about where they’re residing.

In the weeks after the murder, deputies set up checkpoints and handed out fliers, hoping for clues. Anderson said thousands of calls came into a 24- hour tip line, but there was nothing conclusive.

Earlier this year, a team of purported psychics working on the independent television series “Missing Peace” profiled Norma’s case and claimed to have found new evidence. But sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Joe Borja said nothing came of the team’s findings.

Norma was headed to a friend’s house on the day of her abduction, after attending summer classes that morning at her high school. She was using a shortcut through a field, and personal items strewn around the area pointed to a struggle. According to her family, the teen had used the path several times before, but her boyfriend had been with her on those occasions.

On the afternoon of July 20, a resident preparing to mow his lawn on Theodore Street, near Dracaea Avenue, stumbled onto the girl’s remains. A makeshift memorial marks the spot.

Anyone with information about the case was encouraged to contact the Moreno Valley Police Department at (951) 486-6700, or sheriff’s dispatch at (951) 955-2777.