Alessa Jacqueline Rojas was 18 and living in Sacramento, California, when she died on November 26, 2016. Her body showed multiple injuries and police classified her death as a homicide, prompting an extensive Sacramento Police Department investigation that included interviews, forensic analysis and review of surveillance footage.

Investigators identified and questioned several suspects. Authorities later arrested and charged a person known to Alessa; that defendant was tried on counts including first-degree murder and ultimately convicted and sentenced. The case drew strong community attention and remained a focal point for Alessa’s family and local officials.