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Police say they have evidence that proves that the mysterious deaths of two young women from Lincoln Heights in 2011 and 2012 were connected.
In January 2012, when 22-year-old Bree'Anna Guzman went missing and then turned up dead on the side of the 2 Freeway in Silver Lake, it was the second time in a year that something like this had happened to a young woman from Lincoln Heights. The April before, 17-year-old Michelle Lozano had gone missing near Lincoln Heights High School, and her body turned up later in a plastic storage container in Boyle Heights just off the 5 Freeway.
When news of Guzman's death spread, the local community feared the two cases were connected—and that there might be someone targeting young women in the neighborhood. Police were investigating any connections between the two cases early on, but it took over two years to find any evidence. But now Los Angeles police Capt. William Hayes said at a press conference today that they finally have evidence (via City News Service):
"We were unable to conclusively come up with that information until just very recently, where we were able to obtain forensic evidence that linked the two cases. At this point in time, we are convinced that the same individual or individuals is responsible for both the abductions of Michelle Lozano and Bree'Anna Guzman and their subsequent murders."
Hayes did not talk about what kind of forensic evidence connected the cases. And it sounds like there's still plenty investigators don't know: there's no description of a suspect or suspects or any vehicles involved in either case. The women did not know each other. The City Council has renewed their reward for the case: there is $50,000 in each murder. If you have info, call detectives Frank Carrillo or Jay King at (213) 486-6890 or (877) LAPD-247.
Related:
Discovery of Bree'Anna Guzman's Body Dumped Near Freeway Worries Lincoln Heights Community
Police Investigate Connection Between Two Women Whose Bodies Were Dumped Near Freeways
Bree'Anna Guzman Was Involved in 'Love Triangle' Before She Went Missing
