SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Investigators Thursday were seeking the public's help in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for the murder of 21-year-old Mimi Barraza more than 30 years ago.
On Sept. 4, 1993, Barraza was standing outside of her friend's house, talking with a group of people when a white Chevrolet Astro Van drove to the corner of 39th Street and began shooting into Barraza's group of friends.
One of her friends was shot in the leg, and Barraza was killed when a bullet from an assault rifle struck her in the head, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Police said the van sped away from the scene and was located several hours later that morning abandoned at the intersection of 19th and G streets.
The van had been reportedly stolen the previous day. Casings from several different-caliber weapons were also recovered at the crime scene and from the van, police reported.
Barraza had turned 21 two days before her death, and was survived by her two-year-old daughter. She was a winner of the Miss Teen San Diego beauty contest, and had planned on attending college, with aspirations of becoming an attorney.
During the same time frame of Barraza's killing, several other shootings using the same type of assault rifle occurred in which nine people were wounded in National City.
In one case in San Diego, a 16-year-old boy was shot to death in the 3800 block of Delta Street, the department stated.
According to police, the suspects in all of the cases were believed to be Hispanic males affiliated with a street gang from Logan Heights.
Authorities urged anyone with information on Barraza's murder or any other of the related cases to call the SDPD's Cold Case Unit at 619-531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers 888-580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the cases.
Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.
