Father of murdered San Jose woman speaks out
HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- The funeral for Stacey Aquilar, a young San Jose woman who was murdered, was held Monday afternoon.
Her father, Magin Aquilar, arrived in the Bay Area from Mexico and said he wants justice for his youngest daughter.
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To add to his frustration, Magin was told Monday that a plea hearing for his daughter's accused killer was postponed.
Esmid Pedraza, 23, made a court appearance Friday when he was charged with the murder, but he did not appear at Monday's hearing.
Magin arrived in the Bay Area from Mexico on a humanitarian visa because he wanted to see his 22-year-old daughter's accused killer. "Frustrated, we are feeling weighed down because we do not know what will happen. They keep changing dates on us. I would like the person or persons responsible to be punished. They took our youngest," he said.
Stacey was last seen at a house party in Hayward on February 13. Her body was found a week later in a rural area of Fremont.
Her accused killer had attended the party with his friend Donato Perez.
When Perez was taken into custody last week, he told police that Pedraza told him he shot and killed the young woman that night outside the house and that the two men then drove her body to Fremont, where they threw it down a hill.
When police arrested Pedraza last week he was already in custody on an immigration hold. Authorities said Pedraza is in the country illegally and has a criminal history.
Aquilar's mother could not make the trip here, so Magin spoke on her behalf. "She is devastated, sad and she does not know what to do. She wanted her remains to arrive tomorrow but that won't be possible," he said.
Aquilar's father said when the paperwork is done, his daughter's remains will be taken to the family's hometown in Mexico.
If you would like to help Aguilar's family pay for funeral expenses, click here.
