Mother of victim Gabriel: “Don’t talk any more about this woman”
Speaking on Spanish radio, Patricia Ramírez makes impassioned plea for public to ignore alleged killer of her son, also voicing her suspicions of her role in his disappearance
The mother of Gabriel Cruz, the eight-year-old boy whose body was found on Sunday 12 days after he disappeared in Almería, called on Monday for anger against his alleged killer, the girlfriend of the victim’s father, to not spread further.
Speaking in a radio interview, Patricia Ramírez made an impassioned plea, “in memory of our little fish,” as Gabriel was affectionately known, for people “not to talk any more about this woman,” in reference to the alleged killer, Ana Julia Quezada, and to focus instead on “the good people.”
The body of the child was found on Sunday wrapped in a blanket in the trunk of the car being driven by Quezada. Sources from the investigation believe that she was acting alone and had recovered the body from a well due to fears it was going to be discovered. The motive for the alleged killing has not yet emerged.
No one should say anything more about Ana Julia. She shouldn’t appear anywhere, nor should anyone retweet messages of hate Mother of Gabriel Cruz, Patricia Ramírez
Speaking on the Onda Cero radio network, Gabriel’s mother thanked the public for the outpouring of support and affection she has received, and called for an end to the messages of hate that are being directed toward the suspect. Ramírez stated that Quezada “does not deserve to be given attention nor does she deserve for people to be talking about her. No one should say anything more about Ana Julia. She shouldn’t appear anywhere, nor should anyone retweet messages of hate, because that was not my son and that is not me. She should pay whatever she has to pay, but what should be left behind by this case is the faith and good deeds that have appeared from all sides and that have brought out the best in people. It can’t all end up with just the face of this woman and words of rage.
Speaking in another interview on the Cope Catholic radio network, Ramírez stated that she had always suspected that Quezada was behind the disappearance of her son. “I feared that this was the case,” she explained. “I couldn’t say anything, because it was part of the investigation. I hoped that I could soften her up and that she would come clean. That at some moment she would let it go. That was why we were appealing to people’s consciences when we appeared before the press.”
She also had words of thanks for “everyone who has helped physically” in the search for the child, as well as those who helped “in the investigation or by sending messages of affection.” She added: “I have no words to thank all the people and all of the beautiful actions that have been seen.” She repeated her previous call to the public to hang the image of a “little fish” with a “kind word” in their window in memory of Gabriel.
Ramírez also explained that her ex-husband, the father of Gabriel, is suffering much more now that he knows that his girlfriend is the main suspect in the investigation. “He is a wonderful person, no one should have any doubts about him,” she told her interviewer. “I am going to be at his side because we have to get over this together. He’s completely shattered, but it’s very difficult to digest the loss of a child knowing that the person that you love has killed them.”
On Monday it emerged that the four-year-old daughter of Ana Julia Quezada died 22 years ago after falling out of a window. (It was initially reported that the child in question was under the care of Quezada, but not related to her.) The death of the little girl was investigated at the time, with the National Police concluding that it was a tragic accident. At the time, Quezada was aged 21 and lived in the Gamonal area in Burgos, northern Spain, with her then partner and a second daughter, who was two. Her husband at the time had adopted the children, according to sources from the investigation. After the arrest of the woman on Sunday, the authorities are revisiting the case.
English version by Simon Hunter.
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