Crystal Theobald was shot dead by 5150 gang members in Riverside, California in February 2006; her mother Belinda Lane witnessed this act and pledged to find those responsible. To do this, she enlisted Jaimie’s help in creating a fake MySpace profile in order to investigate.
Julio Heredia shot Theobald in the head and she died two days later at Riverside Community Hospital. He was charged with murder and other offenses and has now been sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment.
She was 24 years old
Crystal Theobald was only 24 when she was tragically killed in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity. Both Crystal’s mother, Belinda Lane, and brother Justin were shot during the incident but survived; Belinda Lane worked tirelessly to seek justice for Crystal, even using fake social media profiles to track down suspects.
5150 was out to enact revenge against their rival gang for shooting at one of its members earlier in the day, so when they saw Crystal and her boyfriend driving their car they mistook them for members of said rival gang and shot both in the head; Crystal died two days later from her wounds.
Julio Heredia was one of the gunmen involved in this shooting incident and was arrested shortly thereafter. He was ultimately found guilty in 2011 on murder and other charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole; yet his case serves as a stark reminder of how much violence exists on our streets and how easy it can be to lose touch with those around us. The documentary explores the effects of violent crime on families of victimized individuals as well as generations grieving a loss – depicting both trauma experienced over time as well as justice being served eventually.
She was driving with her brother and boyfriend
Crystal Theobald, 24, was shot in the head while driving with her brother and boyfriend through Riverside, California on a typical day when members of gang 5150 opened fire with guns aimed at rival members from MD gang. As they passed by her car that looked similar to their own they witnessed what transpired and this tragedy unfold. Her mother Belinda Lane witnessed this heartbreaking tragedy.
Lane took matters into her own hands and launched an independent investigation. With help from Jaimie McIntyre, 14, they created a MySpace profile using photos of Theobald and an assumed name in order to befriend local gang members; ultimately succeeding in doing so and receiving information from one member named William Sotelo.
Sotelo admitted to owning and driving the SUV that shot up Theobald’s car, providing police with information regarding another suspect he named – Julio Heredia was ultimately arrested as the gunman and sentenced to life without parole; eleven other defendants in this case also plead to various charges; Sotelo finally received 22 years for voluntary manslaughter as well as being found guilty on various gang and firearm allegations.
She was shot in the head
Crystal Theobald was 24-year-old mother of two who died as the result of gang violence in February 2006. Her mother, Belinda Lane was determined to identify those responsible. Belinda utilized social media in her search, recruiting her cousin Jamie McIntyre as an investigator; together they created fake MySpace profiles in order to contact suspected killers.
On the night of Theobald’s shooting, members of local gang 5150 mistook her car for one belonging to another gang and opened fire on it. Julio Heredia of 5150 opened fire with an assault rifle shotgun; one bullet struck Theobald in her head while Juan Patlan received one in his midsection.
Netflix documentary detailing a decade-long investigation of a crime and its aftermath, featuring recreations of shooting scenes, archive footage, interviews with family members, police officers, suspects and witnesses who feature prominently throughout.
Lane and her cousin created fake profiles on MySpace to track down those responsible. One account led them directly to William Sotelo, the driver of the white Ford Expedition that fired upon Theobald’s car. Lane used her intelligence to bring Sotelo in for questioning; eventually he confessed killing Theobald while placing blame on another gang member known as Julio Heredia (also known as “Lil Huero”).
She was killed by a gang
Crystal Theobald was shot dead by members of a local gang in 2006. They believed her car belonged to one belonging to the rival gang and sought revenge after one of their own had been wounded earlier that day. Crystal left behind two young daughters and her lover Juan Patlan; Netflix documentary Why Did You Kill Me follows the efforts taken by her family members for justice for her.
Belinda Lane struggled with drug addiction after the death of Theobald; but her determination to find Crystal’s killers gave her new purpose in life and she set up a fake MySpace profile using Crystal’s photos under an assumed name called Angel, befriending as many gang members as she could to gain information on them.
Lane and McIntyre were eventually able to track down William Sotelo, the owner and driver of the SUV which fired upon Theobald’s vehicle. Lane and McIntyre interviewed Sotelo who blamed his friend Julio Heredia (known as Lil Huero ) for initiating the shooting incident. Lane passed her intelligence onto law enforcement who ultimately arrested Sotelo; he now serves 22 years behind bars.
