NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) — Just after Christmas in 2002, a National City mother was gunned down outside her home. Nearly 23 years later, her killer still hasn't been caught.
Now, detectives are renewing their push to find Cynthia Denise Peppers' killer in this cold case that has haunted her family and the community for decades.
It was a Saturday, December 28th at 7:04 p.m., just three days after Christmas.
Family and friends were hanging out outside of Cynthia's home on Mann Avenue near Alpha Street in the National City neighborhood known by locals as "Hatfield."
The mother of four kids was just returning home from a quick trip to the grocery store when tragedy struck.
"Through the investigation, we learned that two vehicles had driven up and parked on the side of the house on Alpha Street," said Detective Mark Segal with the National City Police Department.
Segal has been working on Cynthia's case for nearly a decade.
"The vehicles were fairly distinct vehicles that had pulled up. One was a red Datsun 280Z, and the other was a gray Honda Accord, and they pulled up in tandem, and as I said, people got out of both vehicles with firearms and shot at the people standing in front of the house," Segal said.
Out of the huge crowd outside the Peppers' house, four people were shot.
Cynthia was the only one who did not survive. She took a bullet straight to her head as she was walking from her car to the front door of her house. She was only 39 years old.
Daughter remembers her mother
"My mom was a hardworking mom. That's always the first thing that comes to mind," said Naisha Allen, Cynthia's daughter.
"She took very good care of us. She was funny, always laughing, the life of the party, caring, compassionate, and very supportive," Allen said.
Allen said she was just a few houses down that night, visiting with her grandmother, when her mom was shot and killed.
"I actually heard the gunshots. I just remember at one point looking at her, and she was shot in her head. I did not expect to be picking out my mom's casket at 19 years old while I'm home for a break when we're supposed to be celebrating Christmas," Allen said.
One of the other three people shot that night was the driver of an ice cream truck parked in the Peppers' driveway. The truck would go on to give this homicide a notable name.
"It's the Ice Cream Truck Homicide. The ice cream truck that was on the driveway when the shooting occurred was somewhat of an icon in the neighborhood at the time," Segal said.
Innocent Bystander
Both Detective Segal and Allen believe the shooters were targeting someone else in the crowd of people hanging out outside of the Peppers' house that night.
"It was a lot of people out there, and my mom was an innocent bystander," Allen said.
Segal says that one of the many reasons why Cynthia Peppers' case went cold was because her shooting was part of a string of shootings at the time when Southeast San Diego gangs were retaliating against one another.
Other shootings, like the Dr. J's shooting, in the same week quickly dimmed Cynthia's spotlight in the media and public.
Segal said the ties that Cynthia's shooting had to gangs were another big hurdle in finding her killer.
"People were scared to report what happened and who participated in this. I'm confident that there are plenty of people who know who perpetrated this crime, but I still believe that people are afraid to come forward and provide information," Segal said.
New hope with advancing technology
Segal said shell casings recovered from the scene of the crime could be a valuable clue.
"There have been advancements in DNA technology and forensic evidence, and we're attempting to resubmit some of the evidence that was collected at the time to have it evaluated with those new technologies," Segal said.
Segal said he also plans on re-interviewing some of the original witnesses and persons of interest.
"I feel it's a necessary step that must be taken to try to resolve this homicide," Segal said.
After 23 years, Segal hopes someone will finally break their silence about who is responsible for the murder of Cynthia Peppers. That answer would mean the world to Cynthia's family.
"So that's why I fight for her. I'm fighting for her justice. I'm fighting for closure. This is not just for me, this is for my family," Allen said.
If you know any information about the murder of Cynthia Peppers in 2002, you can submit an anonymous tip to San Diego Crime Stoppers.
There is $1000 reward for any tip that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information about this murder should call the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office at (619) 531-4277 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Visit the Crime Stoppers website at www.sdcrimestoppers.org for more information on how to send anonymous web and mobile app tips.
