PHOENIX — Itzel Espinoza was a girly girl. She loved shoes, makeup and getting her eyelashes done.
At 17-year-old she had more than 67,000 Instagram followers as she hoped to be a social media influencer.
Her dream was cut short. Espinoza was found shot dead in the passenger seat of a vehicle near 35th Avenue and Southern early Saturday morning.
“Every night she would go to the room and give a goodnight kiss, and she is not here, it’s a tough situation,” said Eduardo Espinoza, Itzel Espinoza’s father.
Two years ago, the family went all out for her quinceñera, a traditional Mexican celebration when a teen turns 15 years old.
The tiara, court, and stunning red dress—her favorite color—made for a perfect day filled with memories, her Eduardo Espinoza said he now deeply cherishes.
“She had a great time, laughing and dancing all night long,” he said. “She made everyone smile.”
The father says he last spoke with Itzel Espinoza Thursday night. The next day he reported her missing after she didn’t come home, and he hadn’t heard from her at all.
On Saturday morning he got the call that his baby girl had been found dead in an alley.
Phoenix police say Itzel was shot multiple times. Three days after her death, investigators have no leads or made any arrests.
“It’s very sad for me, I’m suffering a lot, but hopefully they find the person responsible,” said Elidia Quintero de Espinoza, Itzel Espinoza’s grandmother with tears rolling down her face.
The grandmother said she helped raised Itzel Espinoza after she left Chicago, where she lived with her mother until she was 2 years old. The news of her granddaughter’s passing has been a tough pill to swallow.
“She’s not here no more and I can’t really express my feelings to her,” Eduardo Espinoza said. “But I always told her ‘I’m not your friend, I’m your dad”
The father said he was always tough on Espinoza. He pushed her to continue her studies and asked her to hang out with a better crowd. He said he now wished he should have pushed even more.
The teen’s family now hopes that by sharing her story, it can help prevent another family from feeling the same pain.
“I would give her a hug and tell her I love you. Regardless of how old you get, you will always be my baby girl,” he said.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses.
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