Crime & Safety

District Attorney Docments Brutal Death of a Mom in Loma Linda

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's office has created a documentary on the 1993 Valentine's Day murder of a mother in Loma Linda.

Ignacia Manriquez’s story has left an indelible impression on San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Margaret Bevan.

She remembers the brutality of Ignacia’s murder at the hands of the father of her three children. On Feb. 14, 1993, Juan Manuel Navarro shot and killed her in the parking lot of Loma Linda University Medical Center in front of their 4-year-old son.

The deputy DA recounts the tale of the case in a 10-minute video titled "Justice for Ignacia," recently released by the District Attorney’s office. The video features interviews with Bevan and a witness that helped put Navarro in prison. It also includes courtroom footage.

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Navarro fled to Mexico after the shooting and spent 17 years on the run from authorities. The video details some of that and includes stark photos of the crime scene.

In February, Bevan told Loma Linda Patch her most vivid memories were of Ignacia’s family, who never gave up hope. And of Bradford Montgomery, a witness who saw the entire crime, stuck with the case and spoke up for the victim.

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Ignacia’s sister Felipa Manriquez and her father, Antonio Manriquez, traveled to Mexico and turned over every stone looking for Navarro, Bevan said.

“They went down to Mexico almost every other weekend to hunt him down,” Bevan said. “That just shows the perseverance that this family has and the need for justice.”

wrote about the case in February.

“I could not bring Ignacia back to her family, but I had it in my power to convince the jury that the defendant was guilty of this horrific crime and that he needed to be held accountable for his crimes,” Bevan said.


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