The Los Angeles City Council approved a $50,000 reward today in hopes of enticing someone to come forward with information that will help police catch a murder suspect who has been on the run from authorities for five years.
An anonymous donor also pledged to match the city's reward, bringing the total to $100,000 for information leading to a conviction.
David Weir, 28, confessed to family members and his attorney that he shot and killed his girlfriend, Victoria Ramirez, 21, in their Sherman Oaks home in 2006, according to Los Angeles police. The killing took place on the 13000 block of Chandler Boulevard near Los Angeles Valley College and about one block from the border with Valley Village.
After consulting with his attorney about confessing to police, Weir fled to San Diego, then to Mexico, federal and local law enforcement authorities said.
"For the last five years, inexplicably, this suspect has been able to evade capture,'' said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who introduced the reward motion. "We know there are people some place that know exactly where David Weir is. There are people someplace, right now, who are giving him shelter and giving him comfort."
"Wherever he is, we will find him," Krekorian added.
Ramirez was killed Aug. 6, 2006. Evidence suggested Ramirez was about to leave Weir when the shooting occurred, Detective James Nuttall said at a news conference.
Weir's family and friends provided "limited" cooperation after the murder, he said, and police got a warrant for his arrest within 48 hours of the shooting, Nuttall said. Weir's family has not cooperated with police since he fled, he said.
Nuttall said Weir was under investigation for drug trafficking before the murder and had enough money to leave the country.
"We want our message to be very clear to the family and friends of David Weir,'' Nuttall said. ``It's been five years, and we have never given up. We are not going to give up. I don't care if it's a year from now, five years, ten years from now. We are going to continue to pursue David Weir."
U.S. Marshall Supervisor Inspector Matt Brown said Weir was last spotted in Mexico 2-3 years ago.
Ramirez's family stood in tears next to officials at the news conference. Her sisters sobbed and fought back to tears to speak to reporters.
"A phone call, whatever can help lead to his capture is what we pray
for every night," said Elizabeth Ledezma, Ramirez's oldest sister. "To those that are helping him, I would just like for you guys when you go to sleep at night to think how we feel as a family, for my parents who can't even come up here and speak."
"We once thought he was our family too, and if he can do it to our sister he can do it to anybody," Ledezma added.
Anyone with information about the case or the whereabouts of David Weir was encouraged to call Detectives James Nuttall or Pedro Barba at (818) 374-0040.
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