Antonio Villarreal Meza
Jan. 19, 1966 – Sept. 22, 2005
Antonio Villarreal Meza, born Jan. 19, 1966, died Sept. 22. Born in Rincon De Huajupa, Durango, Mexico, he lived in Tehachapi for 7 years.
He was loved by his family and they pray he will find peace in life with God.
The family asks that Antonio be given peace. The peace that he wasn’t given in life, we ask that it be given in death. We also asked that you reserve your judgement on him. We are no one to judge. His only judgement will come from God.
He is survived by his parents, Porfirio and Amalia Meza, his wife Rosario Sarabia, his sons Abel and Ruben Meza, all of Tehachapi, as well as many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were provided by Wood Family Funeral Services and a service was conducted by Father Joel Davadilla at Wood Family Funeral Service Chapel on Sept. 29, 2005.
Man shoots daughter, commits suicide
Students grieve at Tehachapi High School
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
and Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Reporter
One week after deputies responded to a Tehachapi teenager’s pleas for help because of domestic violence against her mother, the ultimate nightmare occurred at her home in Golden Hills.
Angelica Maria Meza, 15, died on the evening of Sept. 22 when she was shot by her father, Antonio Villarreal Meza, who also shot her mother and then killed himself.
Investigators believe Antonio shot Angelica during a domestic dispute, shot his wife Rosa Saravia during a struggle over the weapon and then shot himself while in front of the residence.
Rosa, who was taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries, was released the following day.
According to Sgt. Joe Giuffre, Antonio had a long history of domestic violence. When deputies went to the home the week of Sept. 15 in response to Angelica’s call, Rosa would not admit her husband had assaulted her. Without her admission, the deputies could not arrest Antonio.
Nevertheless, knowing his history, the deputies hid down the street for approximately three hours watching the home. They hoped he would come out drunk, so they could arrest him, but he didn’t and they finally left.
Deputies had kept a watch on Antonio since a double homicide occurred in Tehachapi on March 13, 2003 because they wanted to find his brother Rumaldo "Alex" Meza.
Rumaldo was wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street.
Giuffre said Antonio’s own crime history includes an arrest on July 5, 2005 for providing a false name to deputies. He said as recent as last week, the Tehachapi Unified School District reported to officers that Angelica was trying to protect her mother from domestic violence.
Antonio’s rap sheet also includes an arrest on Oct. 1, 2003 for spousal assault, violence against a child, false imprisonment and criminal threats. Victims in that arrest where Angelica and her mother.
Antonio also was arrested for battery on a spouse on Nov. 24, 2001.
Unfortunately in most incidents charges against Antonio were dismissed by the court. And despite repeated arrests over the years, Antonio only spent one month and one day in jail.
On top of his litany of offenses, Antonio was an illegal alien who had been deported to Mexico but had returned to the area.
Giuffre said Child Protective Services had been involved with the family and he believed that Antonio had been referred for anger management counseling.
“The system is broken,” Giuffre said. “We don’t have enough officers; the district attorney doesn’t have enough staff. We are all overwhelmed.”
At Tehachapi High School, where Angelica had many friends, students were in shock and grieving.
Angelica was described as someone who was liked by everyone; someone who was beautiful, fun and very nice.
Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens said the announcement of the teen’s death was made Friday morning at THS and a moment of silence was observed in Angelica’s memory.
She said the school district immediately called in counselors from the Kern County of Superintendent of Schools and a counselor from Jacobsen Middle School to provide grief counseling for the students.
Beautiful and loving
Friends and family of Angelica Meza remembered her beautiful face and personality. “I will miss her because I always got a feeling of happiness when I was around her — she always brought me up,” friend Krissy Caldwell said.
Friend Faith Bailey was very surprised by the news of Angelica’s death, because Angelica never mentioned any family problems to her. Faith remembered Angelica as someone who loved hip-hop, rap, and was a bit boy crazy.
Cristian Jimenez, her boyfriend, recalled the first time he met her. “She acted pretty shy,” he said. But as time went by, he saw more of her personality. “She was tender, loving, and sweet.”
Abigail Meza, her aunt, described Angelica as being a sensitive girl with a good heart. “She was the kind of girl that people liked right away because she was so happy,” she said.
Cristian’s mother used to call Angelica by the nickname “beauty,” a name that Angelica enjoyed. She and Angelica enjoyed a warm relationship.
Angelica will be remembered as a sensitive, happy and loving girl.
2.
Several law enforcement agencies converge at burial
Search for man in connection with two unsolved homicides leads to arrests at cemetery
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Report
It was like a scene out of a Mafia movie as deputies and special agents surrounded the Tehachapi Westside Cemetery where Antonio Meza was being laid to rest on Sept. 29.
Antonio committed suicide on Sept. 22 after killing his daughter, Angelica, 15, and injured his wife.
Law enforcement officers from the Kern County’s SWAT unit, special enforcement division, air support, canine and homicide units were joined by state parole and federal Immigration and Naturalization Service agents in an effort to find Antonio’s brother, Rumaldo Meza.
“We couldn’t pass up the chance to arrest Rumaldo,” said Sgt. Joe Giuffre.
Rumaldo is wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street on March 13, 2003.
Giuffre said INS and state parole agents were conducting a sweep of the Tehachapi area to locate individuals who were in violation of parole or immigration laws and therefore, were available to assist in the investigation to find Rumaldo.
In their quest to find the alleged felon, officers closed off the road and searched every car leaving the cemetery.
For the officers’ safety, approximately four people were handcuffed for a short time as law enforcement searched the cars. That included a 15-year-old boy who was detained by deputies for five minutes and held by for approximately 10 minutes by INS agents because he had no identification.
The Meza family are upset about the investigation at the cemetery and feel it was an intrusion on a sad time in their life.
"We had to bury two of our own in one day. For us to be pulled over with guns drawn was uncalled for," said Elvia Meza, Antonio's niece and Angelica's cousin. "I was in a state of shock. They had no respect for the fact that we were grieving."
Eliva said she got out of her car and officers kept their guns pointed at her until she got back in the car.
"It was already a traumatic day for all of us, and they didn't make it any easier,” she said.
Elvia said no one attending the burial had any weapons and that officers didn't have any reason to point guns. She also said none of the officers had a search warrant.
Giuffre said his officers were supporting the sheriff’s homicide division in the investigation and that a homicide case is always open.
"Because of the transient mobile nature of vehicles, it is inherently unrealistic to require a search warrant. However, the same level of probable cause is necessary to search a car as to search a house," said Ed Jagels, Kern County District Attorney.
He also indicated that because the police had probable cause that a suspected felon would be at the funeral, they could legally search the cars without a search warrant.
In addition, he said the search is limited by the nature of the item that they are searching for. So while looking for a person, for example, police can look in the trunk but not in the glove compartment.
Although officers were not successful in finding Rumaldo, they did arrest his brother, Andreas Meza, on a parole violation.
Two other people besides Andreas were taken to the substation where their fingerprints were checked to determine whether they were Rumaldo. One of the men was Antonio’s brother, Alejandro. Both men were released.
Before the burial service, law enforcement officers staked out for two hours the Capital Hills area and surveillance was high at both the 1 p.m. funeral of Antonio and 10 a.m. service for Angelica.
“It was our decision that out of respect for Angelica, we wouldn’t make any arrests at her funeral,” Giuffre said. “She was the true victim in this tragedy.”
Jan. 19, 1966 – Sept. 22, 2005
Antonio Villarreal Meza, born Jan. 19, 1966, died Sept. 22. Born in Rincon De Huajupa, Durango, Mexico, he lived in Tehachapi for 7 years.
He was loved by his family and they pray he will find peace in life with God.
The family asks that Antonio be given peace. The peace that he wasn’t given in life, we ask that it be given in death. We also asked that you reserve your judgement on him. We are no one to judge. His only judgement will come from God.
He is survived by his parents, Porfirio and Amalia Meza, his wife Rosario Sarabia, his sons Abel and Ruben Meza, all of Tehachapi, as well as many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were provided by Wood Family Funeral Services and a service was conducted by Father Joel Davadilla at Wood Family Funeral Service Chapel on Sept. 29, 2005.
Man shoots daughter, commits suicide
Students grieve at Tehachapi High School
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
and Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Reporter
One week after deputies responded to a Tehachapi teenager’s pleas for help because of domestic violence against her mother, the ultimate nightmare occurred at her home in Golden Hills.
Angelica Maria Meza, 15, died on the evening of Sept. 22 when she was shot by her father, Antonio Villarreal Meza, who also shot her mother and then killed himself.
Investigators believe Antonio shot Angelica during a domestic dispute, shot his wife Rosa Saravia during a struggle over the weapon and then shot himself while in front of the residence.
Rosa, who was taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries, was released the following day.
According to Sgt. Joe Giuffre, Antonio had a long history of domestic violence. When deputies went to the home the week of Sept. 15 in response to Angelica’s call, Rosa would not admit her husband had assaulted her. Without her admission, the deputies could not arrest Antonio.
Nevertheless, knowing his history, the deputies hid down the street for approximately three hours watching the home. They hoped he would come out drunk, so they could arrest him, but he didn’t and they finally left.
Deputies had kept a watch on Antonio since a double homicide occurred in Tehachapi on March 13, 2003 because they wanted to find his brother Rumaldo "Alex" Meza.
Rumaldo was wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street.
Giuffre said Antonio’s own crime history includes an arrest on July 5, 2005 for providing a false name to deputies. He said as recent as last week, the Tehachapi Unified School District reported to officers that Angelica was trying to protect her mother from domestic violence.
Antonio’s rap sheet also includes an arrest on Oct. 1, 2003 for spousal assault, violence against a child, false imprisonment and criminal threats. Victims in that arrest where Angelica and her mother.
Antonio also was arrested for battery on a spouse on Nov. 24, 2001.
Unfortunately in most incidents charges against Antonio were dismissed by the court. And despite repeated arrests over the years, Antonio only spent one month and one day in jail.
On top of his litany of offenses, Antonio was an illegal alien who had been deported to Mexico but had returned to the area.
Giuffre said Child Protective Services had been involved with the family and he believed that Antonio had been referred for anger management counseling.
“The system is broken,” Giuffre said. “We don’t have enough officers; the district attorney doesn’t have enough staff. We are all overwhelmed.”
At Tehachapi High School, where Angelica had many friends, students were in shock and grieving.
Angelica was described as someone who was liked by everyone; someone who was beautiful, fun and very nice.
Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens said the announcement of the teen’s death was made Friday morning at THS and a moment of silence was observed in Angelica’s memory.
She said the school district immediately called in counselors from the Kern County of Superintendent of Schools and a counselor from Jacobsen Middle School to provide grief counseling for the students.
Beautiful and loving
Friends and family of Angelica Meza remembered her beautiful face and personality. “I will miss her because I always got a feeling of happiness when I was around her — she always brought me up,” friend Krissy Caldwell said.
Friend Faith Bailey was very surprised by the news of Angelica’s death, because Angelica never mentioned any family problems to her. Faith remembered Angelica as someone who loved hip-hop, rap, and was a bit boy crazy.
Cristian Jimenez, her boyfriend, recalled the first time he met her. “She acted pretty shy,” he said. But as time went by, he saw more of her personality. “She was tender, loving, and sweet.”
Abigail Meza, her aunt, described Angelica as being a sensitive girl with a good heart. “She was the kind of girl that people liked right away because she was so happy,” she said.
Cristian’s mother used to call Angelica by the nickname “beauty,” a name that Angelica enjoyed. She and Angelica enjoyed a warm relationship.
Angelica will be remembered as a sensitive, happy and loving girl.
2.
Several law enforcement agencies converge at burial
Search for man in connection with two unsolved homicides leads to arrests at cemetery
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Report
It was like a scene out of a Mafia movie as deputies and special agents surrounded the Tehachapi Westside Cemetery where Antonio Meza was being laid to rest on Sept. 29.
Antonio committed suicide on Sept. 22 after killing his daughter, Angelica, 15, and injured his wife.
Law enforcement officers from the Kern County’s SWAT unit, special enforcement division, air support, canine and homicide units were joined by state parole and federal Immigration and Naturalization Service agents in an effort to find Antonio’s brother, Rumaldo Meza.
“We couldn’t pass up the chance to arrest Rumaldo,” said Sgt. Joe Giuffre.
Rumaldo is wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street on March 13, 2003.
Giuffre said INS and state parole agents were conducting a sweep of the Tehachapi area to locate individuals who were in violation of parole or immigration laws and therefore, were available to assist in the investigation to find Rumaldo.
In their quest to find the alleged felon, officers closed off the road and searched every car leaving the cemetery.
For the officers’ safety, approximately four people were handcuffed for a short time as law enforcement searched the cars. That included a 15-year-old boy who was detained by deputies for five minutes and held by for approximately 10 minutes by INS agents because he had no identification.
The Meza family are upset about the investigation at the cemetery and feel it was an intrusion on a sad time in their life.
"We had to bury two of our own in one day. For us to be pulled over with guns drawn was uncalled for," said Elvia Meza, Antonio's niece and Angelica's cousin. "I was in a state of shock. They had no respect for the fact that we were grieving."
Eliva said she got out of her car and officers kept their guns pointed at her until she got back in the car.
"It was already a traumatic day for all of us, and they didn't make it any easier,” she said.
Elvia said no one attending the burial had any weapons and that officers didn't have any reason to point guns. She also said none of the officers had a search warrant.
Giuffre said his officers were supporting the sheriff’s homicide division in the investigation and that a homicide case is always open.
"Because of the transient mobile nature of vehicles, it is inherently unrealistic to require a search warrant. However, the same level of probable cause is necessary to search a car as to search a house," said Ed Jagels, Kern County District Attorney.
He also indicated that because the police had probable cause that a suspected felon would be at the funeral, they could legally search the cars without a search warrant.
In addition, he said the search is limited by the nature of the item that they are searching for. So while looking for a person, for example, police can look in the trunk but not in the glove compartment.
Although officers were not successful in finding Rumaldo, they did arrest his brother, Andreas Meza, on a parole violation.
Two other people besides Andreas were taken to the substation where their fingerprints were checked to determine whether they were Rumaldo. One of the men was Antonio’s brother, Alejandro. Both men were released.
Before the burial service, law enforcement officers staked out for two hours the Capital Hills area and surveillance was high at both the 1 p.m. funeral of Antonio and 10 a.m. service for Angelica.
“It was our decision that out of respect for Angelica, we wouldn’t make any arrests at her funeral,” Giuffre said. “She was the true victim in this tragedy.”
Antonio Villarreal Meza
Jan. 19, 1966 – Sept. 22, 2005
Antonio Villarreal Meza, born Jan. 19, 1966, died Sept. 22. Born in Rincon De Huajupa, Durango, Mexico, he lived in Tehachapi for 7 years.
He was loved by his family and they pray he will find peace in life with God.
The family asks that Antonio be given peace. The peace that he wasn’t given in life, we ask that it be given in death. We also asked that you reserve your judgement on him. We are no one to judge. His only judgement will come from God.
He is survived by his parents, Porfirio and Amalia Meza, his wife Rosario Sarabia, his sons Abel and Ruben Meza, all of Tehachapi, as well as many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were provided by Wood Family Funeral Services and a service was conducted by Father Joel Davadilla at Wood Family Funeral Service Chapel on Sept. 29, 2005.
Man shoots daughter, commits suicide
Students grieve at Tehachapi High School
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
and Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Reporter
One week after deputies responded to a Tehachapi teenager’s pleas for help because of domestic violence against her mother, the ultimate nightmare occurred at her home in Golden Hills.
Angelica Maria Meza, 15, died on the evening of Sept. 22 when she was shot by her father, Antonio Villarreal Meza, who also shot her mother and then killed himself.
Investigators believe Antonio shot Angelica during a domestic dispute, shot his wife Rosa Saravia during a struggle over the weapon and then shot himself while in front of the residence.
Rosa, who was taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries, was released the following day.
According to Sgt. Joe Giuffre, Antonio had a long history of domestic violence. When deputies went to the home the week of Sept. 15 in response to Angelica’s call, Rosa would not admit her husband had assaulted her. Without her admission, the deputies could not arrest Antonio.
Nevertheless, knowing his history, the deputies hid down the street for approximately three hours watching the home. They hoped he would come out drunk, so they could arrest him, but he didn’t and they finally left.
Deputies had kept a watch on Antonio since a double homicide occurred in Tehachapi on March 13, 2003 because they wanted to find his brother Rumaldo "Alex" Meza.
Rumaldo was wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street.
Giuffre said Antonio’s own crime history includes an arrest on July 5, 2005 for providing a false name to deputies. He said as recent as last week, the Tehachapi Unified School District reported to officers that Angelica was trying to protect her mother from domestic violence.
Antonio’s rap sheet also includes an arrest on Oct. 1, 2003 for spousal assault, violence against a child, false imprisonment and criminal threats. Victims in that arrest where Angelica and her mother.
Antonio also was arrested for battery on a spouse on Nov. 24, 2001.
Unfortunately in most incidents charges against Antonio were dismissed by the court. And despite repeated arrests over the years, Antonio only spent one month and one day in jail.
On top of his litany of offenses, Antonio was an illegal alien who had been deported to Mexico but had returned to the area.
Giuffre said Child Protective Services had been involved with the family and he believed that Antonio had been referred for anger management counseling.
“The system is broken,” Giuffre said. “We don’t have enough officers; the district attorney doesn’t have enough staff. We are all overwhelmed.”
At Tehachapi High School, where Angelica had many friends, students were in shock and grieving.
Angelica was described as someone who was liked by everyone; someone who was beautiful, fun and very nice.
Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens said the announcement of the teen’s death was made Friday morning at THS and a moment of silence was observed in Angelica’s memory.
She said the school district immediately called in counselors from the Kern County of Superintendent of Schools and a counselor from Jacobsen Middle School to provide grief counseling for the students.
Beautiful and loving
Friends and family of Angelica Meza remembered her beautiful face and personality. “I will miss her because I always got a feeling of happiness when I was around her — she always brought me up,” friend Krissy Caldwell said.
Friend Faith Bailey was very surprised by the news of Angelica’s death, because Angelica never mentioned any family problems to her. Faith remembered Angelica as someone who loved hip-hop, rap, and was a bit boy crazy.
Cristian Jimenez, her boyfriend, recalled the first time he met her. “She acted pretty shy,” he said. But as time went by, he saw more of her personality. “She was tender, loving, and sweet.”
Abigail Meza, her aunt, described Angelica as being a sensitive girl with a good heart. “She was the kind of girl that people liked right away because she was so happy,” she said.
Cristian’s mother used to call Angelica by the nickname “beauty,” a name that Angelica enjoyed. She and Angelica enjoyed a warm relationship.
Angelica will be remembered as a sensitive, happy and loving girl.
2.
Several law enforcement agencies converge at burial
Search for man in connection with two unsolved homicides leads to arrests at cemetery
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Report
It was like a scene out of a Mafia movie as deputies and special agents surrounded the Tehachapi Westside Cemetery where Antonio Meza was being laid to rest on Sept. 29.
Antonio committed suicide on Sept. 22 after killing his daughter, Angelica, 15, and injured his wife.
Law enforcement officers from the Kern County’s SWAT unit, special enforcement division, air support, canine and homicide units were joined by state parole and federal Immigration and Naturalization Service agents in an effort to find Antonio’s brother, Rumaldo Meza.
“We couldn’t pass up the chance to arrest Rumaldo,” said Sgt. Joe Giuffre.
Rumaldo is wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street on March 13, 2003.
Giuffre said INS and state parole agents were conducting a sweep of the Tehachapi area to locate individuals who were in violation of parole or immigration laws and therefore, were available to assist in the investigation to find Rumaldo.
In their quest to find the alleged felon, officers closed off the road and searched every car leaving the cemetery.
For the officers’ safety, approximately four people were handcuffed for a short time as law enforcement searched the cars. That included a 15-year-old boy who was detained by deputies for five minutes and held by for approximately 10 minutes by INS agents because he had no identification.
The Meza family are upset about the investigation at the cemetery and feel it was an intrusion on a sad time in their life.
"We had to bury two of our own in one day. For us to be pulled over with guns drawn was uncalled for," said Elvia Meza, Antonio's niece and Angelica's cousin. "I was in a state of shock. They had no respect for the fact that we were grieving."
Eliva said she got out of her car and officers kept their guns pointed at her until she got back in the car.
"It was already a traumatic day for all of us, and they didn't make it any easier,” she said.
Elvia said no one attending the burial had any weapons and that officers didn't have any reason to point guns. She also said none of the officers had a search warrant.
Giuffre said his officers were supporting the sheriff’s homicide division in the investigation and that a homicide case is always open.
"Because of the transient mobile nature of vehicles, it is inherently unrealistic to require a search warrant. However, the same level of probable cause is necessary to search a car as to search a house," said Ed Jagels, Kern County District Attorney.
He also indicated that because the police had probable cause that a suspected felon would be at the funeral, they could legally search the cars without a search warrant.
In addition, he said the search is limited by the nature of the item that they are searching for. So while looking for a person, for example, police can look in the trunk but not in the glove compartment.
Although officers were not successful in finding Rumaldo, they did arrest his brother, Andreas Meza, on a parole violation.
Two other people besides Andreas were taken to the substation where their fingerprints were checked to determine whether they were Rumaldo. One of the men was Antonio’s brother, Alejandro. Both men were released.
Before the burial service, law enforcement officers staked out for two hours the Capital Hills area and surveillance was high at both the 1 p.m. funeral of Antonio and 10 a.m. service for Angelica.
“It was our decision that out of respect for Angelica, we wouldn’t make any arrests at her funeral,” Giuffre said. “She was the true victim in this tragedy.”
Jan. 19, 1966 – Sept. 22, 2005
Antonio Villarreal Meza, born Jan. 19, 1966, died Sept. 22. Born in Rincon De Huajupa, Durango, Mexico, he lived in Tehachapi for 7 years.
He was loved by his family and they pray he will find peace in life with God.
The family asks that Antonio be given peace. The peace that he wasn’t given in life, we ask that it be given in death. We also asked that you reserve your judgement on him. We are no one to judge. His only judgement will come from God.
He is survived by his parents, Porfirio and Amalia Meza, his wife Rosario Sarabia, his sons Abel and Ruben Meza, all of Tehachapi, as well as many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were provided by Wood Family Funeral Services and a service was conducted by Father Joel Davadilla at Wood Family Funeral Service Chapel on Sept. 29, 2005.
Man shoots daughter, commits suicide
Students grieve at Tehachapi High School
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
and Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Reporter
One week after deputies responded to a Tehachapi teenager’s pleas for help because of domestic violence against her mother, the ultimate nightmare occurred at her home in Golden Hills.
Angelica Maria Meza, 15, died on the evening of Sept. 22 when she was shot by her father, Antonio Villarreal Meza, who also shot her mother and then killed himself.
Investigators believe Antonio shot Angelica during a domestic dispute, shot his wife Rosa Saravia during a struggle over the weapon and then shot himself while in front of the residence.
Rosa, who was taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries, was released the following day.
According to Sgt. Joe Giuffre, Antonio had a long history of domestic violence. When deputies went to the home the week of Sept. 15 in response to Angelica’s call, Rosa would not admit her husband had assaulted her. Without her admission, the deputies could not arrest Antonio.
Nevertheless, knowing his history, the deputies hid down the street for approximately three hours watching the home. They hoped he would come out drunk, so they could arrest him, but he didn’t and they finally left.
Deputies had kept a watch on Antonio since a double homicide occurred in Tehachapi on March 13, 2003 because they wanted to find his brother Rumaldo "Alex" Meza.
Rumaldo was wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street.
Giuffre said Antonio’s own crime history includes an arrest on July 5, 2005 for providing a false name to deputies. He said as recent as last week, the Tehachapi Unified School District reported to officers that Angelica was trying to protect her mother from domestic violence.
Antonio’s rap sheet also includes an arrest on Oct. 1, 2003 for spousal assault, violence against a child, false imprisonment and criminal threats. Victims in that arrest where Angelica and her mother.
Antonio also was arrested for battery on a spouse on Nov. 24, 2001.
Unfortunately in most incidents charges against Antonio were dismissed by the court. And despite repeated arrests over the years, Antonio only spent one month and one day in jail.
On top of his litany of offenses, Antonio was an illegal alien who had been deported to Mexico but had returned to the area.
Giuffre said Child Protective Services had been involved with the family and he believed that Antonio had been referred for anger management counseling.
“The system is broken,” Giuffre said. “We don’t have enough officers; the district attorney doesn’t have enough staff. We are all overwhelmed.”
At Tehachapi High School, where Angelica had many friends, students were in shock and grieving.
Angelica was described as someone who was liked by everyone; someone who was beautiful, fun and very nice.
Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens said the announcement of the teen’s death was made Friday morning at THS and a moment of silence was observed in Angelica’s memory.
She said the school district immediately called in counselors from the Kern County of Superintendent of Schools and a counselor from Jacobsen Middle School to provide grief counseling for the students.
Beautiful and loving
Friends and family of Angelica Meza remembered her beautiful face and personality. “I will miss her because I always got a feeling of happiness when I was around her — she always brought me up,” friend Krissy Caldwell said.
Friend Faith Bailey was very surprised by the news of Angelica’s death, because Angelica never mentioned any family problems to her. Faith remembered Angelica as someone who loved hip-hop, rap, and was a bit boy crazy.
Cristian Jimenez, her boyfriend, recalled the first time he met her. “She acted pretty shy,” he said. But as time went by, he saw more of her personality. “She was tender, loving, and sweet.”
Abigail Meza, her aunt, described Angelica as being a sensitive girl with a good heart. “She was the kind of girl that people liked right away because she was so happy,” she said.
Cristian’s mother used to call Angelica by the nickname “beauty,” a name that Angelica enjoyed. She and Angelica enjoyed a warm relationship.
Angelica will be remembered as a sensitive, happy and loving girl.
2.
Several law enforcement agencies converge at burial
Search for man in connection with two unsolved homicides leads to arrests at cemetery
by Carol Holmes
Tehachapi News Editor
Deanna Call
Tehachapi News Report
It was like a scene out of a Mafia movie as deputies and special agents surrounded the Tehachapi Westside Cemetery where Antonio Meza was being laid to rest on Sept. 29.
Antonio committed suicide on Sept. 22 after killing his daughter, Angelica, 15, and injured his wife.
Law enforcement officers from the Kern County’s SWAT unit, special enforcement division, air support, canine and homicide units were joined by state parole and federal Immigration and Naturalization Service agents in an effort to find Antonio’s brother, Rumaldo Meza.
“We couldn’t pass up the chance to arrest Rumaldo,” said Sgt. Joe Giuffre.
Rumaldo is wanted in connection with the deaths of Clifford Dwain Freeman, 33, and Clyde Moter Jr., 28, who were gunned down at a home in the 300 block of East E Street on March 13, 2003.
Giuffre said INS and state parole agents were conducting a sweep of the Tehachapi area to locate individuals who were in violation of parole or immigration laws and therefore, were available to assist in the investigation to find Rumaldo.
In their quest to find the alleged felon, officers closed off the road and searched every car leaving the cemetery.
For the officers’ safety, approximately four people were handcuffed for a short time as law enforcement searched the cars. That included a 15-year-old boy who was detained by deputies for five minutes and held by for approximately 10 minutes by INS agents because he had no identification.
The Meza family are upset about the investigation at the cemetery and feel it was an intrusion on a sad time in their life.
"We had to bury two of our own in one day. For us to be pulled over with guns drawn was uncalled for," said Elvia Meza, Antonio's niece and Angelica's cousin. "I was in a state of shock. They had no respect for the fact that we were grieving."
Eliva said she got out of her car and officers kept their guns pointed at her until she got back in the car.
"It was already a traumatic day for all of us, and they didn't make it any easier,” she said.
Elvia said no one attending the burial had any weapons and that officers didn't have any reason to point guns. She also said none of the officers had a search warrant.
Giuffre said his officers were supporting the sheriff’s homicide division in the investigation and that a homicide case is always open.
"Because of the transient mobile nature of vehicles, it is inherently unrealistic to require a search warrant. However, the same level of probable cause is necessary to search a car as to search a house," said Ed Jagels, Kern County District Attorney.
He also indicated that because the police had probable cause that a suspected felon would be at the funeral, they could legally search the cars without a search warrant.
In addition, he said the search is limited by the nature of the item that they are searching for. So while looking for a person, for example, police can look in the trunk but not in the glove compartment.
Although officers were not successful in finding Rumaldo, they did arrest his brother, Andreas Meza, on a parole violation.
Two other people besides Andreas were taken to the substation where their fingerprints were checked to determine whether they were Rumaldo. One of the men was Antonio’s brother, Alejandro. Both men were released.
Before the burial service, law enforcement officers staked out for two hours the Capital Hills area and surveillance was high at both the 1 p.m. funeral of Antonio and 10 a.m. service for Angelica.
“It was our decision that out of respect for Angelica, we wouldn’t make any arrests at her funeral,” Giuffre said. “She was the true victim in this tragedy.”
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