Judith Vaughs still cherishes the last text message she received from her childhood friend, Tabatha Tozzi.
“I look at it all the time,” said Vaughs, recalling the birthday message where Tozzi expressed her love.
The message was sent in late 2022, just months before Tozzi’s tragic death after being shot, allegedly by her then-boyfriend, in Las Vegas on April 22, 2023.
Tozzi, who was 26, succumbed to her injuries two days later at the University Medical Center.
The accused shooter, Oswaldo Nathanahel Perez-Sanchez, fled to Mexico following the incident.
He was arrested earlier this month by Mexican authorities in connection with another woman’s slaying.
Vaughs was among over 50 attendees at a celebration of life event held at Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas on Thursday.
This gathering marked the first public event for Tozzi’s family and friends since Perez-Sanchez’s capture on April 15.
“I don’t want anybody to forget about my daughter,” stated Regina Lacerda, Tozzi’s mother.
“She’s the light of my life. She is … I’m never going to say that she was. I feel her presence.”
Attendees included several Metro police officers and Gary Schofield, head of the U.S. Marshals Service in Nevada.
Metro Undersheriff Andrew Walsh took a moment to hold Lacerda’s hand while discussing the complexities involved in bringing Tozzi’s alleged killer to justice in the United States.
“We’re going to have to fight for the justice that Regina seeks in bringing the suspect in this case back to the United States for prosecution in an American courtroom,” remarked Walsh.
“We’re not giving up hope on that. To get him in an American courtroom with handcuffs on so (Regina) can see him, that’s just one more challenge for us.”
Schofield, providing clarity on the situation, mentioned, “There’s nothing new to report Thursday on the possible extradition of Perez-Sanchez back to the United States.
“That’s up to Mexico.”
The celebration of life featured friends and loved ones coming together to reminisce about the woman many affectionately referred to as “Tabby.”
Photos of Tozzi adorned a picnic table at one of the park’s shelters.
Signs were also displayed, including one that read “#TABBY4EVER WE WANT JUSTICE.”
Vaughs, who resides in San Diego, reflected on her long-lasting friendship with Tozzi, which began when they were eleven years old.
“I feel very grateful that I get to experience today,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.
“However, I’m very overwhelmed. Even though it’s been two years, I still go back to the moment when I found out that she was shot.
Part of me still doesn’t understand why this happened.”
Lacerda, wearing sunglasses due to recent eye surgery, took to the stage and spoke about her daughter for over ten minutes, often breaking down in tears.
“I have to be her voice now,” Lacerda expressed, her heartbreak palpable.
“The day that she passed, I wanted to go with her, but I know she was always there with me, telling me, ‘Mom, don’t give up.’”
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, an argument unfolded between Tozzi and Perez-Sanchez in her car the day she was shot.
The altercation occurred in the 8100 block of Leger Drive, not far from South Cimarron Road and Alta Drive.
Authorities claim that after allegedly shooting Tozzi in the head, Perez-Sanchez carjacked Tozzi’s friend before fleeing the scene.
A collective effort by multiple law enforcement agencies from both the U.S. and Mexico eventually led to the search and arrest of Perez-Sanchez.
In addition to Tozzi’s death, he is also connected to the murder of Vivian Karely, 26, in Sinaloa, Mexico.
Karely went missing on March 22, with her body discovered on April 7, according to earlier reports.
“I need justice for her,” Lacerda stated, emphasizing her desire for accountability.
Speaking on the toll that the last two years have taken on her and her family, Lacerda expressed her struggles with sleep and her identity.
“I don’t sleep anymore,” she lamented.
“I only sleep two or three hours now. My life went upside down. I don’t know who I am at this moment because I became another person.”
Despite the challenges they face, Tozzi’s loved ones made it clear during the event that her memory will never fade.
“Every single day, I ask her to be my guide,” Lacerda concluded.
“I tell her I need justice for her and I ask her to just be my guide.”
image source from：https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/slain-las-vegas-woman-remembered-were-going-to-have-to-fight-to-get-accused-killer-to-u-s-3362813/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=section_row&utm_source=opinion&utm_term=Slain%20Las%20Vegas%20woman%20remembered%3B%20%E2%80%98we%E2%80%99re%20going%20to%20have%20to%20fight%E2%80%99%20to%20get%20accused%20killer%20to%20U.S.
