Gabriela Soza was taken aback when she received a text message one Monday morning revealing that the man responsible for the murder of her sister, Maria Lourdes Soza, was finally in custody.
This shocking news arrived just two months after the passing of her father, who had tirelessly pursued justice for his daughter.
For Soza, the juxtaposition of these events felt surreal.
The weight of grief she carried seemed to lift, allowing her and her family to hope for peace at last.
“It was just a relief,” she shared.
“It was like you could breathe now.
It was like a pain in the chest.
It is like everybody can really rest and be calm.”
Reflecting on the events of January 2015, Soza recounted the tragic day when Lourdes was tragically struck by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting.
That day, Lourdes had just picked up her three children from her parents’ house after finishing work at San Francisco International Airport.
As she pulled up to her Bayview home, Lourdes was checking the mailbox when gunfire erupted.
“When she heard that gun, like a mom, like a lion, you protect,” Soza said, mourning the heroic instincts of her sister.
“She told her kids to go down, she pushed her partner [down].
She didn’t even get a chance to squat,” Soza recalled of the harrowing moments.
After an extensive investigation lasting nearly a decade, law enforcement has apprehended Anthony James Tyree, 34, for allegedly firing the shots that killed Lourdes.
On Wednesday, he was arrested for the barrage of gunfire aimed from a Dodge pickup truck speeding along Ingalls Street just after 4 p.m. on January 27, 2015.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that the Dodge had overtaken a black Infinity, and Tyree, along with another individual, opened fire, hitting Lourdes as well as two others in the Infinity, both of whom died.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the San Francisco Police Department launched a double-homicide investigation.
Despite their efforts—including the release of surveillance footage showing a suspect vehicle seven months post-incident—no arrests were made.
Soza reflected on the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that settled over the family after extended periods without progress.
“After a certain period of time had passed, they felt like no one was looking anymore,” she said, expressing the frustration of the waiting game.
However, she maintained that her father never wavered in his belief that justice would eventually prevail.
“For him, the kids are supposed to bury the parents, not the parents their child,” Soza explained, emphasizing her father’s devotion.
“He waited for ten years for justice to be served; it was an obsession for him.”
The decade following Lourdes’ death proved difficult for her family but ultimately reinforced their bonds.
Following her tragic passing, Lourdes’ children were separated into different households—her eldest daughter remained with their grandparents, while her son and younger daughter lived with their fathers.
“We tried to be there, even though it was hard because they were small when it happened,” remarked Soza.
Though not living under one roof, family members did their best to maintain a relationship.
Soza reminisced about sitting outside in a car or on the curb with the kids, striving to connect despite their circumstances.
Now that the children are older, Soza reported that the quarrels and distance that once existed have transformed into togetherness with the extended family.
She underscored their unity by stating, “We’re five.
We’re always going to be five,” referring to her and her sisters and their commitment to holding Lourdes close in their hearts.
Soza also credits their family’s enduring strength and ability to forgive Tyree to Lourdes’s influence.
“I kind of forgave that person because I know that’s something my sister was,” Soza felt.
“Family always stays strong regardless of the conflicts.”
Lourdes was a devoted protector of her children and always prioritized family, Soza noted.
“Her kids were her world,” she said, further describing her sister as someone who gave abundantly without expecting anything in return.
“She always helped others without caring whether they said thank you or not.
If you asked her for a favor, she’d fulfill it; if you needed money, she would give it.”
Soza feels that the recent arrest brings a long-awaited sense of relief to the family.
According to the police, the cold case was transitioned to homicide investigators in August 2024.
Through their meticulous investigation, they developed probable cause linking Tyree to both murders and secured a warrant for his arrest on August 13.
In the early hours of Monday morning, specialized tactical units served a search warrant at Tyree’s home in Pittsburg, where they discovered an AR-15 short-barreled ghost gun rifle.
Upon his arrest, Tyree was taken to San Francisco County Jail, where he was charged with two counts of murder, along with attempted murder and illegal firearm possession by a felon.
Tyree did not enter a plea and remains in custody without bail, expected back in court Monday.
Soza expressed the multitude of emotions felt by her family, stating, “We’re all emotional, not in a bad or sad way, but relieved that now my sister could rest in peace and that we finally got this person off the street before he harms other families.
image source from：kqed
