Sheriff Mike Boudreaux re-established his Cold Case Unit and seeks the publics help

to solve old homicide cases. Homicide cases are never closed until theyre solved.
The Cold Case Unit is actively investigating the murder of Maria Sanchez, a 68-yearold grandmother, who was shot and killed on Sept. 1, 2006.
Heres what happened:
On Sept. 1, 2006, at about 8:50 p.m., Maria Sanchez, a 68-year-old grandmother,
was shot and killed during a robbery at the La Tienda Market in Strathmore. She
owned the market with her husband, Fernando Sanchez.
She was working inside the store with her then 19-year-old grandson, Adrian
Aguilar, when two men entered the store wearing hooded sweatshirts with
bandanas covering their faces, said Detective Dwayne Johnson.
Both men were armed with handguns.
One suspect went behind the counter to the cash register with Maria Sanchez while
the second suspect ordered her grandson to the floor. One of the suspects fired his
weapon and fatally wounded Mrs. Sanchez, who had been cooperating with their
orders.
A witness drove by the market and saw two men run inside. He stopped his vehicle
and saw one suspect behind the counter. When the witness made a U-turn to get
another look, both suspects ran out of the market.
Johnson said hes working diligently to solve this case and to bring the responsible
parties to justice.
The Cold Case Unit is also actively investigating the murder of retired Kern County
Sheriffs Deputy Larry Whitfield, 53, who was found murdered on April 27, 2003 in
Woodlake.
Heres what we know:
Whitfield and his wife had started the Impact for Christ Youth Center on the outskirts
of Woodlake as a way to reach out to local youth and influence them in a positive
way. On Saturday, April 26, 2003, he left his home to work on the building.
He was shot and killed while working in the youth center, said Detective Chris
Dempsie. Whitfield was found deceased the next morning inside the youth center.
Detectives have not yet figured out why anyone would want to kill him. There is no
indication he was robbed. In the early stages of the investigation, there were a few
phone calls about the case but detectives were not able to lock down any
substantial leads.
We are 13 years into the investigation and there are no leads, Dempsie said.
Were hoping to get some help from the community.
The building, which sat by itself in a rural area, has since been destroyed.

Someone went there for the sole reason of confronting him, he said. Somebody
out there knows what happened. Point me in the right direction.
To report information: If you or someone you know has information about a cold
case, please contact the Tulare County Sheriffs Office at 735-1898 and ask for the
Cold Case Unit. If you dont want to call, you can write a letter and mail it to the
Tulare County Sheriffs Cold Case Unit, 5959 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277.
If youd like to remain anonymous, text or leave voice mail at Tip Now at (559) 7254194 or email at tcso@tipnow.com.