“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
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Vanessa Gurrola Peraza, a former Sinaloan beauty queen and model/influencer, now faces charges of first-degree murder following her arrest on October 9 in San Diego, California.
She was previously romantically linked to Ivan Archivaldo Guzman but more recently she was the fiance of the late “El Chato,” Christian Espinoza Silver. “El Chato” was gunned down last year in San Diego, California.
Vanessa is now facing charges of being involved in his murder.
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| Recent posts on @vanessagurrola_ Instagram show her time in Bali. |
Back from Bali
According to information from San Diego authorities, the 32-year-old was arrested by San Diego PD when arriving back in the US after a trip to Bali, Indonesia, a trendy hotspot for influencers.
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San Diego Sheriff’s Office records revealed that Vanessa Gurrola is being held at Las Colinas Jail in San Diego.
Gurrola had an arrest warrant for her in connection with the murder of Christian “El Chato” Espinoza Silver which took place over a year ago in University City, San Diego. He was gunned down outside of their apartment complex. The San Diego charges of first-degree murder place her as one of the key players in the planning of her ex-partner’s death.
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| Graphic by HEARST |
Chato’s Killing
On February 17, 2024, “El Chato” was pulling into the parking garage of their Palisade apartment complex in University City in San Diego, just across the street from the busy Westfield Mall. The BMW SUV that Chato was driving was shot into by a still unknown gunman at the entrance. A unnamed 39-year old man was wounded in the passenger seat, while Christian Espinoza Silver died from his wounds later that night at the hospital.
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According to the source consulted by Milenio, it is expected that federal charges could be filed for the murder of “El Chato,” as well as for other murders related to disputes between Mexican criminal organizations.
It is believed that two shootings months later in nearby Chula Vista were related to the same trafficking network and one of the wounded men was “El Apache,” James Bryant Corona. Those two shootings became part of a federal investigation according to the Chula Vista police department.
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Propaganda Flyers
Lidia Vanessa Gurrola Peraza, alias “La Sapa,” is an influencer mentioned in a flyer against the “Los Menores” or “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, alongside politicians, drug lords, and other the influencers including “Markitos Toys.”
Her photo appeared recently on propaganda flyers dropped from the air across Sinaloa during the current internal war between the two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Chapitos and Mayito Flaco’s Faction.
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She was named as “La Sapa” on the flyers, which usually translates in Spanish slang to “Snitch/Informant” but also can mean “Gossiper.” The Chapitos are referred to as “Los Sapitos” on the flyer.
Gurrola is a prominent social media influencer and model, boasting trips to various locations including the United Arab Emirates, Paris, France, Türkiye, and Miami, Florida, in the United States. In 2011, she was crowned queen of the Mazatlán Floral Games Festival, and later ventured into businesses related to weight-loss products.
Mexican news articles in 2018 said that Vanessa looked similar to “El Chapo’s” wife, Emma Coronel.
Gurrola acknowledged that the confusion with “El Chapo’s” wife gave her greater exposure. “It doesn’t bother me, my followers have even increased,” she declared in a television interview in 2019.
So far, it has not been revealed whether “El Chato’s” murder was directly related to a dispute between Los Chapitos and the remnants of the Arellano Félix Cartel, or an internal killing.