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Cold Case: Leslie Vasquez

Hartford Police Unsolved Murder The Murder Of Leslie “Yogi” Vazquez—The Cinco De Mayo Murder Date:   Monday, May 5Th, 2014 Location:  617 Park Street, Hartford ...

Hartford Police Unsolved Murder
The Murder Of Leslie “Yogi” Vazquez—The Cinco De Mayo Murder
Date:   Monday, May 5th, 2014
Location:  617 Park Street, Hartford (Near Lawrence Street)
Time:   Evening
Cause Of Death: Multiple Gunshot Wounds
Manner Of Death: Homicide
Victim:   Leslie “Yogi” Vazquez 39 Years Old On Date Of His Murder

By Christopher J. Lyons

On the night of Monday, May 5th, 2014 Hartford Resident Leslie Vazquez was out walking east on Park street from Affleck street. Vazquez was a long time member of the Los Solidos street gang and had just served time for a narcotics violation. He represented a faction of the Los Solidos gang that formed in the early 1990’s and was considered an old-timer in the gang. As Vasquez walked in his own neighborhood, another male began to track his movements. The suspect followed Vazquez until they both neared the area of Park and Lawrence Streets. He covered his face with a bandana and then took out a firearm and shot at Leslie Vazquez several times. Vazquez was struck by several rounds as he walked and collapsed on Park Street by the wall of a business. Vazquez was pronounced dead on May 5th, 2014 .

Leslie most likely knew his attacker even with the bandana on his face.

Leslie was memorialized by members of his own gang with a street side memorial on Park Street. In his street memorial there were photographs of him alive and praying. There were gang artifacts and graffiti in addition to dozens of candles on the street by the memorial. The memorial was attended to by dozens of people who stopped by to view the memorial to his life for the next several days while it still stood untouched. Some of the wall graffiti remains.

Hartford police are actively and aggressively pursing this case and cannot move forward without the assistance from the public. Street surveillance shows that there were witnesses to the crime and people in the area. Police need those people to come forward. All identities are kept anonymous through the tip line. Call Crime Stoppers at 860-722-TIPS.

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