Maria Guadalupe Juarez was 14 when she was killed in a drive-by shooting in Modesto, California, just after midnight on December 26, 2020. She was riding in a car on Martin Luther King Boulevard near Oak Street with three others: an 18-year-old woman, a 16-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. The vehicle was struck by multiple gunshots; Maria was fatally wounded at the scene. The 18-year-old and the 16-year-old were injured and expected to recover, while the 11-year-old was unharmed.

Police investigators concluded the attack was gang-related. Maria was struck twice as the driver tried to flee and the car crashed into a light pole.

Maria’s family described her as a loving, happy girl who tried to make others smile. Who in Modesto might have seen or heard anything that night and can help piece together the final minutes of Maria’s life?