Family and friends hold car wash fundraiser for Phoenix mother found dead

By Alexis Cortez, Whitney Clark

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    PHOENIX (KPHO) — Family and friends gathered on Sunday to hold a car wash for mother of six Irene Luevano, whose body was found in a western Arizona desert on Thursday.

Family and friends held the car wash to raise money for Luevano’s funeral. Federico’s Mexican Restaurant offered to host the car wash near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road. Irene’s sister says the community support has meant a lot to the family.

“We’re just so grateful. We’re grateful for everybody for helping us for my sister,” said Sandra Mercado. “Everybody’s whose been there with us through all these hard times. I still can’t get over it because she’s my sister, but we gotta be strong.”

On Thursday, Phoenix police found Luevano’s body 30 miles south of Salome in the desert, two hours away from Phoenix. Luevano was last seen alive at a bar with her boyfriend, Jorge Lara, last Sunday. Later that night, she called family members to tell them she had been stabbed by Lara. Last Tuesday, police found Luevano’s car in the parking lot of an Avondale restaurant, and there was blood in the car.

Details from Phoenix police’s investigation revealed that a witness, Diego Teran, was with Luevano and Lara the day she went missing. Court paperwork says Teran told police he saw Lara stab Luevano multiple times and dump her body. Teran told police he lived with Lara, and originally denied he saw Lara before the murder. Later, Teran told police he lied to them because Lara threatened to kill his family if he said anything, according to court documents.

“We’re still out here, doing everything for my sister. She was a very nice person, everybody loved her. Unfortunately, she got taken away from us.” said Mercado.

Teran faces one count of hindering prosecution. Lara is being held on a $1 million cash bond. Lara faces charges for first-degree murder, abandonment, concealment of a body, aggravated assault and kidnapping.

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