Brothers Baron & Conrad Ochoa Indicted For Triple Murder, Sexual Assault Of A Child & Child Pornography for murders of Rebecca Gonzales, 29, her daughter Samvastion "Sammi" Ochoa, 10 and their roommate 41-year-old Pamela Wenske. House set on fire.

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At an earlier news conference, Police Chief William McManus had identified him and said he was a person of interest in a homicide in which a mother and daughter had been found dead in the North Side home.
Arson investigators later found the third victim, police spokesman Sgt. Chris Benavides said .

“We're investigating it as a capital murder,” Benavides said. “The circumstances appear to be suspicious but we do know that the fire also could have contributed to the deaths.”

The names of the victims were not released.

“It's obvious enough that the deaths are not related to the fire,” McManus had said of the mother and daughter. “It's tragic what's inside that house.”

He said a history of violence at the household may have led to the killings and said the person of interest was the woman's husband. Court documents show the girl, 10, had been the subject of more than two years of bitter legal wrangling by her parents over her custody but indicate they were not married.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 3:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Karen Lane in a neighborhood just north of Terrell Hills. Fire investigators were attempting to learn what started the blaze, which drew more than 40 SAFD personnel to the scene.

San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said the house was “definitely a crime scene.” The first two bodies were found only after the fire was extinguished and “this afternoon, we got notification from our arson investigators that there was a third victim,” he said.

According to court documents, the mother alleged the girl had made several outcries accusing the father of sexually assaulting her, after an earlier allegation that her uncle, who lived with her father, had physically abused her. The father accused the mother of drug use. The mother had failed to pay court-ordered child support, according to the documents.

In January, the mother filed a police report alleging the father slashed the tires of her 2000 Hyundai Elantra. On Aug. 1, the mother reported to police that her daughter had been sexually assaulted several times by the girl's father, beginning in November and occurring at least once during each of her visits with him, most recently on July 23, police spokesman Officer Matthew Porter.

The mother applied for a protective order for the child on Aug. 11, submitting a sworn statement that the girl had said her father had been sexually abusing her since November. A temporary protective order was issued Aug. 17.

Investigators with Texas Child Protective Services had been looking into the accusations, the most recent one being referred to the agency in August, said Mary Walker, a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

The child was placed in the care of her mother, who agreed to keep the child safe, according to Walker and court documents.

Mike Litofsky, who owns the burned home, said the woman “took care of her child well.” A property manager who declined to be named said the girl, her mother, and the woman's boyfriend had moved into the home in February of 2010 and were good tenants.

“They were very polite, friendly, good, nice people,” she said. “I never had any problems.”

The property manager said she was shocked by news of the fire and deaths and, like many others who know the mother, could not confirm she had died. The child and her mother are well-known at The Circle School, where the woman had worked as an after-school teacher. She had since left the school, director Blanca Luna said, and had been taking care of children at her own home.

Luna said she and the school's tight-knit community were still trying to determine if her former employee died.

“We're just like everyone else, waiting for information on who police identify,” she said, declining to comment further.

A woman who knows the mother and child said the daughter was likely troubled by her parents' ongoing conflicts.

“It's a very, very sad and gross history. (The daughter) was definitely affected by it, but she was a wonderful person and a wonderful girl,” she said, declining to be named.

Neighbors stopped to look at the gutted house Wednesday morning as they walked their dogs and went for morning jogs.

“This neighborhood is quiet,” said Joe Perez, 58, who also lives on Karen Lane and drove to the scene to try to find out who had died.

Neighbor Beth Brown said she had seen the woman and her child days before, when they came home with a pet rat. Brown had then given the woman a pair of boots.

“I'm just devastated,” Brown said, breaking down into tears. “They're my neighbors.”

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SAN ANTONIO -- Homicide detectives were called to the scene of a house fire early Wednesday after a woman and young girl were found dead inside the home.

Fire crews responded to the 200 block of Karen Lane near Rittiman on the Northeast Side around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. By the time firefighters arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames. Arson investigators believe the fire was intentionally set.

Investigators say the body of the woman was found in a side bedroom during a primary search of the home. Officials say she was murdered before the fire was set. They have not released any more details about her death.

The second victim, an 11-year-old little girl, was found in a back bedroom under debris during a secondary search. Officials are calling her death "suspicious."

Police are now searching for the woman's estranged husband. Neighbors say there was a history of domestic disputes between the two. Police did confirm to News 4 WOAI officers were called to the home within the last month to respond to one of those disputes.

Arson dogs were called to the scene to determine if accelerants were used to start the fire.

Neighbors say the home was used as a child care center during the day, and the woman found dead inside the home cared for the children.

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Police say woman, daughter slain before house burned
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By Ana Ley in The San Antonio Express-News

A man was being sought for questioning Wednesday morning after a woman and child were found dead in a suspicious house fire on the Northeast Side, officials said. Authorities found the body of a woman, 41, and a child, believed to be her 11-year-old daughter. No official causes of the deaths have been determined but Police Chief William McManus said it was a homicide scene.

“It’s obvious enough that the deaths are not related to the fire,” McManus said. “It’s tragic what’s inside that house.”

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 3:33 a.m. in the 200 block of Karen Lane in the Willshire Terrace area.
Police said they were seeking a “person of interest” believed to be the woman’s husband. McManus said there was a history of violence at the household that may have led to the homicides. Mike Litofsky, the woman’s landlord, said “she took care of her child well.” She had been living at the house about a year and a half.

At a news conference, SAFD Chief Charles Hood said the location was “definitely a crime scene.” Fire investigators were attempting to learn what started the blaze.

Also Wednesday morning, emergency responders rushed to a fire in the 3200 block Cripple Creek. Two people were treated at the scene and one person was taken to the hospital. Their conditions were unknown. Arson investigators were at that scene.

Since Tuesday, SAFD has responded to 13 calls for structure fires, Hood said. Four of those have been major incidents.

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As if Texas hasn't been through enough lately w/all the fires..some all the way down to San Antonio and Houston. And this jerk kills his family and then sets the house on fire???

We are NOT out of the woods, literally. The winds are blowing and it is hot and dry and no rain. Texas is a timber box!!

Community fears after-school teacher, daughter among 3 bodies found
By Eva Ruth Moravec
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Updated 01:39 p.m., Thursday, September 15, 2011

Friends of a woman and her 10-year-old girl are increasingly convinced they were among the three persons killed in a North Side home destroyed by fire early Wednesday.

Uncertainty was changing to mourning in the close-knit community of The Circle School, where Rebecca Elizabeth “Veggie” Gonzales, 29, had worked as an after-school teacher and her daughter, Samvastian “Sammy” Ochoa, 10, attended.

Authorities have not identified those killed in the house Gonzales rented in the 200 block of Karen Lane, where she lived with her daughter.

“Who else would be in that house?” said Jeanne Smith, whose son, Levi Mataga, was Gonzales' recent ex-boyfriend.

Police said the dead included a mother and daughter and were treating the case as a capital murder. Officers questioned Ochoa's father Wednesday as a person interest because of a history of ongoing conflict between the parents, but an SAPD spokesman said he was not a suspect “at this time.”

The Bexar County medical examiner's office has yet to identify the three bodies but said but had tentatively concluded the third victim found was a woman in her 40s. No cause of death has been determined. Because the bodies were badly burned, positive identification could take some time, officials said.

“We do know that she had a roommate that moved in on the first of September,” Smith said.

Mataga and Gonzales had been together for about five years, but recently broke up and he left for Vermont on Aug. 20, she said. The couple's split was amicable, Smith said. She said her son was planning to return to San Antonio on Friday to be with his family because of the killings.

“He had just talked to her a couple of days before,” Smith said. “It's a grave tragedy, because both Rebecca and Sammy just had the sweetest souls.”

Aside from being her livelihood and social network, The Circle School community is also how Gonzales met Mataga, Smith said. Gonzales and her daughter were still very close to teachers and parents there, although Gonzales had left the school to care for children at the home she rented.

“There are so many people that love Veggie and Sammy so much, and we just want to have an opportunity to get everybody together,” said Blanca Luna, director of the school.

Mataga and Gonzales stayed together through Gonzales' contentious custody battle over Sammy with Sammy's father, her ex-boyfriend. Court records and police department incident reports detail a two-year struggle that included allegations of sexual and physical abuse, drug use and criminal mischief.

“Levi said that (Gonzales) had the kindest heart that he had ever seen,” Smith said. “Her daughter was the same way, even with all of the abuse and craziness going on in her little life.”

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SAPD: Woman Found Dead In Fire Had Filed Protective Order
Rebecca Gonzales, 29, Sought To Keep Girl's Father Away From Child
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Katrina Webber, KSAT 12 News Reporter
POSTED: Thursday, September 15, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman who is presumed to have died before a fire destroyed her home Wednesday had sought a protective order against the father of her daughter less than a month ago.

The application for the protective order was filed by Rebecca Gonzales, 29, at the Bexar County court house Aug. 17.

Gonzales, along with her 10-year-old daughter, Samvastion "Sammi" Ochoa, and an as-yet unidentified female roommate, were found dead inside their home on Karen Lane after firefighters put out a fire there.

Police determined all three had been killed before the fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. They are handling the case as a homicide.

According to documents filed in court last month, Gonzales said her daughter told her Conrad Ochoa, 31, had been sexually assaulting her in his home since November. Conrad Ochoa is the girl's father and Gonzales ex-boyfriend, the documents show.
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The paperwork shows Gonzales said she notified Child Protective Services about the allegations. The girl was then returned to the custody of her mother.

The case regarding the protective order was scheduled to go to court Sept. 20.

Arson investigators, meanwhile, were seen knocking on neighbors' doors at Conrad Ochoa's apartment complex Thursday morning. They still have not released the cause of the fire.

Police are continuing to investigate the case, as well. They said they have talked to Ochoa and other family members, but they do not have a suspect in the deaths yet.

Friends of Gonzales and her daughter said they plan to hold a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Circle School, in the 200 block of Pershing Drive.

According to workers there, Gonzales' family has been involved with the school for the past decade. They said she once worked for The Circle School as a substitute teacher , and Sammi Ochoa had been a student there in the past.

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What a sad story Wrap! I sure hope that husband/father does not run.
That video of the raw footage was something. Those poor firefighters.

By Eva Ruth Moravec
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Updated 01:04 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2011
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Rebecca Elizabeth “Veggie” Gonzales’ sister Amanda Gonzales (facing camera) hugs a person attending a vigil at The Circle School. Veggie Gonzales and her daughter were still close to teachers and parents at The Circle School. Photo: Edward A. Ornelas/eaornelas@express-news.net / © SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS (NFS)

Murder probe under scrutiny
Friends of Rebecca Elizabeth “Veggie” Gonzales, 29, grew more convinced Thursday that she and her 10-year-old girl were among the three people killed in a North Side home destroyed by fire early Wednesday.

Uncertainty changed to mourning in the close-knit community of The Circle School, where Gonzales had been an after-school teacher and her daughter Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa attended.

“Who else would be in that house?” said Jeanne Smith, whose son Levi Mataga was Gonzales' recent ex-boyfriend.

“He had just talked to her a couple of days before,” Smith said. “It's a grave tragedy, because both Rebecca and Sammy just had the sweetest souls.”

Authorities late Thursday identified one of those killed in the house Gonzales rented in the 200 block of Karen Lane as Pamela Wenske, 41, who apparently was a roommate who recently moved in.

Because the bodies were badly burned, positive identification of the other two could take some time, officials said.

Police were treating the case as a capital murder and questioned Sammy's father Wednesday as a person of interest because of a history of conflict between the parents, but an SAPD spokesman said he was not a suspect “at this time.”

Conrad Ochoa, 31, was arrested around 6 p.m. Wednesday on two Municipal Court warrants for outstanding traffic tickets, a police spokesman said. He was released at 1:20 a.m. Thursday after paying a $212 fine, officials said.

Gonzales and her daughter were still close to teachers and parents at The Circle School, although Gonzales had left the school to care for children at the home she rented.

Sammy was just like her mother, said Wayne Dow, who teaches at The Circle School during summers.

“She was just one of those kids that you really wanted to have in your class, and all of the kids wanted to be friends with her,” Dow said at a candlelight vigil Thursday evening that drew about 200 people.

“There are so many people that love Veggie and Sammy so much, and we just want to have an opportunity to get everybody together,” school director Blanca Luna said before the vigil.

Angela Martinez and Jennifer Khoshbin were at the charred house earlier Thursday, looking at the dozens of origami paper swans that mourners had scattered on the yard.

“Always a very loving presence” was how Martinez described Gonzales. “She was a beautiful, beautiful spirit.”

Part of grappling with the deaths, Khoshbin said, was her unease about what to say to her children.

“I feel like we have to tell our kids,” Khoshbin said. “They all know each other.”

Ron Cantrell, who lives next door, said he was sure his neighbors were the ones who died.

“It was the worst feeling going up and down the street and not finding them” during the fire, Cantrell said. “I just hope they didn't suffer.”

Several houses down, Jason Ramos awoke early Wednesday to his neighbor's barking dogs. He called 911 to complain, then smelled and saw the smoke, told the operator to send the fire department instead, and drove towards the fire, honking his horn.

"I looked across the street, all over, but nobody was there," Ramos said. "The fire was barely starting."

Neighbors came out, and he asked them and the call taker, still on the phone, if he should try to get inside the house.

"I'm 6-foot-3, and I was going to kick that door open and go inside," Ramos said. "But at that moment, for some reason, I didn't feel confident. Maybe I should have, I don't know."

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Police: Arrest Not Made Yet In Fatal Fire On Karen Lane

POSTED: Monday, September 19, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- It's been almost a week since a fire ripped through a home on the 200 block of Karen Lane, and the bodies of three people were discovered including a mother and her young daughter.

On Sunday, the grandmother of Sammi Ochoa, 10, spoke out about the death of her granddaughter and her daughter, Rebecca Gonzales, 29.

"All they wanted to do was to love, and to serve and live life to the fullest," said Suzy Bianchi-Peters.

Bianchi-Peters said she knows Rebecca and Sammi touched many lives and that was evident when the children at the Harlequin Dinner Theater presented her with drawings and messages all addressed to her daughter and granddaughter.

"They had so many plans. The lord saw otherwise and such as life we have to take this and use this as a catalyst to do bigger and better and beautiful and loving things," Bianchi-Peters said.

Suzy said she's also grateful to Rebecca and Sammi's friends who spent Sunday trying to raise money for the family.

"It's beautiful because if this had happened to anyone else, Rebecca would have expected to do this for others," Bianchi-Peters said.

And although her daughter and granddaughter are gone, Suzy said they were able to salvage something close to them.

"They found 5 or 6 boxes that were covered in soot and ash and opened them up and there were photographs and video in absolute pristine condition," Bianchi-Peters said. "It was amazing. It was a miracle."

Police continue to investigate the case as a triple homicide and an arrest has not been made. The third victim was identified as 41-year-old Pamela Wenske.

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must-see video I cannot embed.

New Details Emerge In Triple Slaying
Documents Reveal History Of Physical, Sexual Abuse Against Child Victim
Tim Gerber, KSAT 12 News Reporter
POSTED: Monday, September 19, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- New details emerged Monday in the case of a triple slaying that occurred last week.
KSAT-12 News obtained official documents related to the case that raise questions about the way allegations of abuse were handled by investigators prior to the deaths of Rebecca Gonzales, 29, her daughter Samvastion "Sammi" Ochoa, 10 and their roommate 41-year-old Pamela Wenske.

The two women and the girl were found dead in their home located in the 200 block of Karen Lane last Wednesday.

The home was set on fire but investigators believe the victims were stabbed to death before the fire was intentionally set.

The official documents that are not available publicly, reveal a long history of alleged physical and sexual abuse of Sammi Ochoa by her father Conrad Ochoa and her uncle Baron Ochoa with reports of abuse dating back to February 2010. The allegations of abuse were investigated by investigators with Child Protective Services.

According to the documents, Sammi Ochoa first made an outcry of sexual abuse by her uncle, Baron Ochoa last October but later recanted.

The documents indicate Rebecca Gonzales learned on July 29 of this year that her "daughter was allegedly being sexually abused by her father" Conrad Ochoa.
Gonzales reported the outcry to CPS investigators and refused to allow Sammi to stay with her father after the allegation was made.

The documents show during a forensic interview with CPS investigators in August Sammi Ochoa "described in detail being sexually abused by her father and uncle."
She said her uncle Baron "made her watch child pornography," and that "he recorded her sexual abuse on a cell phone and made two CD copies."

The report states one of the recordings was allegedly "buried under a relative's home." Ochoa said she also "saw a video of another girl she knew" being abused.
During the interview Ochoa said she recanted her allegations against the uncle last time because "he threatened to kill her and her mother." She also stated "her father told her if she told the truth she would be taken away and never see her family again."
The CPS investigator urged Gonzales to "get a protective order" which was granted on Aug. 17. A hearing to make the order permanent was scheduled for Sept. 20.

During her last interview with CPS investigators, Gonzales voiced frustration that the police detective was "dragging his feet" on the case and she was "scared for her life" less than a month before the murders.

Neither Child Protective Services or San Antonio police would comment about the specifics of the case laid out in the documents.

At this point it's unknown when SAPD detectives were told about the alleged video recording of the sexual abuse or if they took any action on the information.
Both agencies said the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

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video above I cannot embed. One more case of CPS Not doing their damned job and WHY hasn't there been an arrest???????

OMG no arrest? CPS again failed this child plus her Mother and the roommate! Now LE hasn't arrested the Dad and/or Uncle yet? BS!

Reward offered in triple-slaying
By Michelle Mondo
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Published 04:15 p.m., Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the Sept. 14 triple-slaying of a mother, her daughter and their roommate.

Police have not released the names of those killed but family and friends have identified the mother and daughter as Rebecca Gonzales, 29, and Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa, 10. Their roommate Pamela Wenske, 41, was identified by the Bexar County medical examiner's office.

Their bodies were found after firefighters extinguished a blaze at their home in the 200 block of Karen Lane. They had been stabbed to death, according to the medical examiner.

In August, Gonzales had accused an ex-boyfriend of sexually assaulting their daughter and police called him a person of interest in the killings, but after questioning him said he was not a suspect “at this time.”

People with information can call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867 or to text a tip to “Tip 127 plus the tip” to CRIMES (274637).

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Warrants for accused brothers sealed
By Eva Ruth Moravec
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Updated 10:44 p.m., Monday, October 3, 2011

Baron Ochoa, 36, was charged with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a young child. He and his brother, Conrad Ochoa, were initially questioned in connection with a house fire on the Northeast Side last month. Photo: Jessica Kwong/Express-News

Baron Ochoa, 36, was charged with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a young child. He and his brother, Conrad Ochoa, were initially questioned in connection with a house fire on the Northeast Side last month.

Men linked to triple-murder case face sex charges

Three bodies found at site of house fire

Authorities released no new details Monday on the sex-crime charges against two brothers, one of whom had been questioned as a person of interest in the slayings last month of his 10-year-old daughter, her mother and a close friend.

State District Judge Sid Harle sealed the arrest warrants he signed recently for Baron Ochoa, 36, and Conrad Ochoa, 31, who both remained in Bexar County Jail on bails that each total $1 million. Baron Ochoa faces two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child; his younger brother faces charges of possession and promotion of child pornography.

San Antonio police said Sunday that the victims of the continuous sexual abuse were two young girls but provided no other details.

SAPD spokesman Sgt. Chris Benavides also declined to say if either man is suspected in the slayings of Rebecca “Veggie” Gonzales, 29; Gonzales' friend and roommate, Pamela Susan Wenske, 41; and Gonzales and Conrad Ochoa's daughter, Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa, 10.

The three were stabbed to death in a rented home that was then set on fire in the 200 block of Karen Lane early on Sept. 14. Conrad Ochoa was originally sought as a person of interest in connection with the capital murder case because of a history of conflict with Gonzales: The two had fought for custody of Sammy since 2009.

In August, in reports to police, Child Protective Services and in court documents seeking a protective order, Gonzales had accused him of sexually assaulting his daughter.

Conrad Ochoa was arrested shortly after the deaths on unrelated charges, and a day after the deaths police said he wasn't a suspect in the killings “at this time.”

At a news conference on Sunday night, when the brothers were walked to patrol cars that transported them to the city magistrate's office, Benavides said both men were “initially questioned after the (deaths) and are still being investigated” in connection with that case.

He wouldn't say much about the sex crimes, other than to say that SAPD had been aware of sexual assault allegations for some time and electronic photos of victims were found. Child Protective Services and SAPD had been investigating the allegations, officials said.

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Graphic allegations made against brothers
By Eva Ruth Moravec and Michelle Mondo
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Updated 07:22 a.m., Thursday, October 6, 2011

Newly unsealed arrest warrant affidavits for brothers Conrad and Baron Ochoa describe evidence of sex crimes against two young girls and identified one of them as Conrad Ochoa's daughter, Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa — who was 10 when she was stabbed to death Sept. 14 along with her mother and their roommate, their home then set on fire.

The affidavits also indicate that Police Department detectives are treating both men as suspects in the capital murder case, though neither has been charged in connection with it.

On Sunday, Baron Ochoa, 36, was charged with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Conrad Ochoa, 31, was charged with possession and promotion of child pornography. Both remain jailed in lieu of posting bails totaling $1 million each.

Police seized Conrad Ochoa's computer and digital storage devices from his apartment in September and a search of them found he was in possession of more than 7,000 digital images of scantily clad prepubescent girls in provocative poses, along with some boys, according to the affidavits.

Another series of 21,900 digital images from a single encounter depicted Sammy and another young girl “engaged in obvious sexual activity” that included use of a black vibrator, the affidavits states. Police also found a movie of Baron Ochoa having intercourse with a female, whose age and identity was undetermined, the documents state.

The second young girl seen in the images was interviewed Sept. 27 by a homicide detective investigating the slayings of Sammy, her mother, Rebecca “Veggie” Gonzales, 29; and Gonzales' friend and roommate, Pamela Susan Wenske, 41, the affidavits state.

The girl identified Baron Ochoa as a man who had sexually assaulted her multiple times, beginning when she was in the fourth grade, according to the documents.

State District Judge Sid Harle on Sunday signed the Ochoas' arrest warrant affidavits and sealed them for 10 days at the request of the Bexar County district attorney's office and an SAPD homicide detective, he said.

“They requested that it be sealed because of a pending investigation that was not the one that the arrests were made for,” Harle said by phone Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Harle unsealed the documents after speaking again to the detective.

“He was comfortable, now that the guys are in custody, that he didn't care about the sealing anymore,” Harle said. “They've already talked to both (the Ochoas) to the extent that they're willing to talk.”

The detective also had been concerned about possible retaliation, but “somehow or another, that was taken care of,” Harle said.

SAPD spokesman Sgt. Chris Benavides has said both men were “initially questioned after the (killings) and are still being investigated” in connection with that case.

Conrad Ochoa was arrested the day of the fatal stabbings on outstanding traffic warrants and later released; Baron Ochoa voluntarily talked to detectives, the affidavits state.

Interviewing Conrad Ochoa that day, police “immediately smelled the same strong odor” that marked the scene of the early-morning fire in the 200 block of Karen Lane, the affidavits state.

He made statements about how to combine materials to start a fire and discussed TV shows and websites that instruct how to start fires with accelerants, though he denied any involvement in any crime, the affidavits state.

During Baron Ochoa's initial interview, police noticed recent scratch marks on his neck, head and shoulder area.

Two days later, police armed with a search warrant found a black vibrator in Conrad Ochoa's white Mitsubishi Montero.

Harle said he was encouraged to unseal the warrants by another factor: Gonzales' mother, Suzy Bianchi Peters, had secured a temporary restraining order Sept. 26 to keep Conrad Ochoa from claiming, obtaining or taking possession of his late daughter's charred remains.

The order states she sought it after being told Conrad Ochoa had asked the Bexar County medical examiner's office to send Sammy's remains to a funeral home, “with no services attached.”

Until the legal issues are resolved, Sammy's body will stay at the medical examiner's office. It was the latest issue in a lengthy, messy custody battle over Sammy between her parents that began in 2009.

Rebecca Gonzales had reported to police and Child Protective Services that Sammy said her uncle and father sexually abused her, according to the affidavits and court filings that document the custody struggle.
Police had known about assault allegations “for some time” before the brothers were arrested, Benavides said Sunday.

Although sex crimes detectives were the ones to originally request a forensic interview of Sammy, which occurred Aug. 11, homicide detectives secured the warrants and appeared to have investigated the sex abuse allegations after Sammy, Gonzales and Wenske were killed.

A police spokesman wouldn't comment on how far sex crimes detectives pursued the August allegations, stating, “We are unable to elaborate on any aspects of the case as it remains an ongoing, criminal investigation.”
In August, Gonzales reported to police that her daughter accused Conrad Ochoa of sexually assaulting her from November 2010 through July 24, according to police reports and a filing for a protective order.
The forensic interview took place at ChildSafe, where Sammy gave a lengthy and disturbing account of abuse by Baron Ochoa, who used to live with her father, according to the affidavits.
She said her uncle recorded the abuse on a video camera and made her look at pornography on her dad's computer and threatened to kill her or her mother if she told anyone, the affidavits state.
During that interview, Sammy accused her father of the same type of sexual abuse but Conrad Ochoa was not found on videos or in images abusing children, the affidavits state.

Documents show homicide detectives reviewed a recording of the forensic interview Sept. 21 and the next day went over the sexual assault report filed in August.

The deaths of Sammy, Gonzales and Wenske shocked the tight-knit community of The Circle School, where both women had worked and Sammy attended school.


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Arrest Warrants Detail Sex Crimes Against Siblings
Conrad Ochoa, Baron Ochoa Linked To Triple Slaying On Karen Lane
Tim Gerber, KSAT 12 News Reporter
POSTED: Wednesday, October 5, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- On Sept. 14, three bodies were discovered in a home in the 200 block of Karen Lane on the Northeast Side.

The victims were identified as 41-year-old Pamela Wenske, 29-year-old Rebecca Gonzales and her 10-year-old daughter, Samvastion "Sammi" Ochoa.
KSAT-12 News obtained copies of arrest warrants that were unsealed Wednesday.

The documents detail a long history of alleged sexual abuse against Sammi Ochoa by her dad and her uncle.

On Sunday night, police arrested 31-year-old Conrad Ochoa and his brother, 36-year-old Baron Ochoa.
The brothers weren't arrested for the murders. Instead, they were charged with sex crimes involving Sammi and another young girl.

The documents revealed that both victims were found in pornographic images on Conrad's computer.
According to the warrants, Sammi told forensic investigators on Aug. 11 about being sexually assaulted by both her dad, Conrad, and her uncle, Baron.

During that interview, she also stated her uncle made her watch child pornography on a computer.

Sammi also stated her uncle had two CDs that depicted her and another girl involved in sexual activity and he buried one under her great grandmother's house.
According to the documents, Sammi said she "knows they were buried under the home because she saw him using a shovel to bury it."

Investigators found those videos, other pictures and videos depicting child pornography on Conrad Ochoa's computer.

The warrant states among the evidence recovered from Conrad Ochoa's computer there was one video that depicted Sammi and another girl.

While the Ochoa brothers were arrested on the sex charges, they have not been charged in the slayings.
The documents state that when detectives questioned Conrad on Sept. 14, the day of the fire, an investigator noticed a strong smell on him that was similar to an odor the investigator smelled at the fire scene.
Investigators also questioned Baron Ochoa that day and detectives noted injuries to his neck, head and shoulder and the injuries appeared to be scratches that were recent.

The affidavit stated Rebecca Gonzales had spoken to school officials two days before the fire about sex charges to be filed against Conrad and Baron Ochoa.
The Ochoa brothers are both being held on $1 million bond each.

Adding to the legal issues surrounding the case is a fight for the remains of Sammi Ochoa.

Sammi's grandmother received a restraining order to keep Conrad Ochoa from claiming possession of the girl's remains.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Thursday.

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By Michelle Mondo
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Updated 11:33 p.m., Thursday, October 6, 2011

Suzy Bianchi-Peters was one step closer Thursday to securing guardianship over the estate of her granddaughter, Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa after a Bexar County Probate Court judge granted an injunction to keep the girl's father from claiming her remains.

“He wanted no celebration of her life,” Bianchi-Peters said during testimony about Sammy's father, Conrad Ochoa, 31, who declined to appear at the hearing either in person or via video-conferencing, court officials said.

He has been jailed since Sunday, when San Antonio police arrested him and his older brother Baron Ochoa, 36, charging them with sex crimes against Sammy and another young girl, among other victims.

Police still are investigating the men in connection with the Sept. 14 slayings of Sammy, 10; her mom, Rebecca Gonzales, 29, who is Bianchi-Peters' daughter; and their roommate Pamela Wenske, 41. The three were found stabbed to death in their rental home that then was set on fire.

Conrad Ochoa is charged with possession of child pornography and promotion of child pornography while Baron Ochoa faces two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a young child.

Conrad Ochoa had been in a bitter custody battle with Gonzales, which began in 2009, about three years after the couple split amicably, according to custody documents and Bianchi-Peters.

She said the dispute “ramped up” when Baron Ochoa began living with his brother.

At Thursday's hearing, St. Mary's University School of Law attorneys for Bianchi-Peters submitted as evidence the arrest warrant affidavit for Conrad Ochoa and the protective order issued for Sammy after an Aug. 11 forensic interview during which she claimed her uncle and father sexually abused her.

When asked about what appeared to be a slow response by sex crimes detectives following Sammy's Aug. 11 statements, Bianchi-Peters said the system is overburdened but didn't blame officials.

She praised homicide detectives for arresting the two men on sex crimes charges and added it would be hard to prevent “anyone as focused on hurting a child,” from actually doing so.

The final decision on her bid to secure administration of the estate could come at a hearing next week.

Bianchi-Peters said her move to keep Conrad Ochoa, who is Sammy's next of kin, from directing that her remains be released to a funeral home with no services was a way to keep her daughter and granddaughter together. The family wanted to have a service for both that honored their lives.

“He tried to separate them in life,” Bianchi-Peters said of the custody battle. “He's not going to do it in death.”

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SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Two brothers have been charged with sexually assaulting two girls, including a daughter of one of the two, who was also fatally stabbed, San Antonio police say.

The stabbing of 10-year-old Samvastion "Sammy" Ochoa occurred Sept. 14 at a home where her mother, Rebecca Gonzales, 29, and Gonzales' friend and roommate, Pamela Susan Wenske, 41, were also fatally stabbed and the home was set on fire, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

Sammy's father, Conrad Ochoa, 31, and his brother, Baron Ochoa, 36, are suspects in the killings but neither has been charged in connection with them, newly unsealed arrest warrants indicate. The two were being held on $1 million bail each.

Gonzales had reported to police in August that Sammy said her father and his brother Baron had sexually abused her, affidavits and court filings reveal, the Express-News reported. Baron Ochoa has been charged with two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, while Conrad Ochoa has been charged with possession and promotion of child pornography.

Police who seized a computer and digital-storage devices from Conrad Ochoa's apartment in September found 21,900 digital images from an encounter between Sammy and another young girl "engaged in obvious sexual activity," affidavits state.

The second girl in the images was interviewed Sept. 27 by a homicide detective investigating the slayings. She said Baron Ochoa sexually assaulted her repeatedly since she was in the fourth grade, affidavits say.

Police also seized from Conrad Ochoa's computer more than 7,000 digital images of partially dressed prepubescent girls in provocative poses as well as some boys, affidavits say.

The documents say police found a movie of Baron Ochoa having intercourse with a female whose age and identity were undetermined, the documents state.

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By Bonnie Russell/Special to the Express-News
Updated 12:02 a.m., Monday, October 10, 2011

As the 2001 founder of familylawcourts.com, I've recently noticed a rise in post-murder arsons. People who blame the economy forget crimes of this magnitude didn't occur during the Depression. What strikes me is far more sinister. Given the murder statistics, the undercurrent is women and children are disposable. Check the “kids killed” section of our website.

However, the murder-arson case of Rebecca Gonzales and Samvastion Ochoa as well as a shooting incident over child custody reminded me of something sadder. None of the victims were aware of the life-saving solution: technology coupled with self-help.

Judges in family and criminal courts could easily help women save their own lives. After a hearing where evidence has been presented, judges who decide to make a restraining order could, if they felt the situation called for it, add a GPS with victim notification enhancement. Since family court judges are adjudicating criminal activity on a daily basis, it just makes sense. Victim notification GPS will aid in reducing family and relationship-related murders.

How it works is easy. A boundary surrounding the home and work areas is mapped into the GPS device that is then placed on the restrained individual. Should the restrained person begin to approach the court-ordered stay-away distance, the GPS monitor, as the first responder, would immediately notify the intended target ahead of time, and in enough time to leave the area and save her own life.

Additionally, saving one's own life has the added benefit of saving police, county and state resources including post-murder conviction incarceration costs.

Some government officials claim there is no money. Don't believe it. The money is there. It's just a question of diverting funds to ensure women are a priority, especially considering the newest era of enforcement tools is predictive policing software. There is no more predictive software than GPS with victim notification.

GPS with victim notification is also needed since the U.S. Supreme Court in Castle Rock vs. Gonzales ruled police officers don't have to enforce a civil restraining order such as the kind ordered in family court. In the Castle Rock case, a father picked up his three little daughters in violation of a restraining order. Mom called the police and was informed they were too busy to look for the girls. Hours later, the girls were found dead.

So GPS would certainly level the playing field or, in too many cases, the killing fields.

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Students recall slaying victim
Butterfly garden honors girl known as ‘so nice and always helpful.'
By Michelle Mondo
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Updated 12:22 a.m., Saturday, October 15, 2011

Ochoa was slain last month along with her mother and her mother's roommate at their home. Fifth graders wanted to remember their departed classmate with a butterfly garden. Bianchi-Peters was joined by friends including eight-year-old Maya Osander-Covarrubias (right), a family friend, at the garden. The dedication was held on what would have been Ochoa's 11th birthday.

On what should have been the 11th birthday of Samvastion “Sammy” Ochoa, her grandmother took some comfort.

Suzy Bianchi-Peters secured custody of Sammy's remains Friday in probate court. And she attended the dedication of a butterfly garden at Sammy's elementary school in honor of her memory.

“I think this was a beautiful idea,” she said after talking to students at Cambridge Elementary School.

Bianchi-Peters, 51, has emerged as a family spokeswoman since the Sept. 14 killing of her granddaughter, her daughter Rebecca Gonzales, 29 — Sammy's mom — and their roommate Pamela Wenske, 41. The three were stabbed to death in their rental home, which was then set on fire.

Cambridge Elementary School Assistant Principal Jennifer Flores said it was Sammy's classmates who decided on the memorial. Adults proposed a balloon release; the fifth graders nixed it — “they said Sammy wouldn't like that because it wasn't environmentally friendly,” Flores said.

The children researched what vegetation would attract butterflies and planted the garden themselves.

Miranda Garza, 10, her eyes puffy and red from crying, remembered Sammy's creativity in dress and art.

“She would dye her hair, and her clothes were so neat,” Garza said of her friend since first grade. But it was “really, really hard” knowing Sammy was gone, she said.

Police have arrested Sammy's father, Conrad Ochoa, 31, and his older brother Baron Ochoa, 36, on child sex crimes charges. They are considered suspects in the triple-homicide, according to arrest warrant affidavits, but have not been charged in that case.

Both remained jailed, Conrad Ochoa on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of promotion of child pornography, his brother on two counts of continued sexual abuse of a child. Recordings on Conrad Ochoa's computer show abuse of children, including Sammy, according to court documents.

Bianchi-Peters sought to keep Sammy's father from having her remains released to a funeral home without services, and Probate Judge Polly Jackson Spencer granted a temporary restraining order last week.

Friday's hearing was to determine if the order would become permanent, but Bianchi-Peters' attorneys dropped that request and instead used probate and family laws to argue that Conrad Ochoa's arrest, though not for the homicide, should eliminate his right to decide what happens to his daughter's remains.

The judge quickly agreed. Conrad Ochoa didn't attend the hearing and wasn't represented by an attorney.

Testifying about the violent death and sexual abuse of her granddaughter just two hours before thanking fifth-graders for the garden wasn't a contradiction, Bianchi-Peters said.

“The difficult details need to be screamed” in or out of court, she said, so no other children get hurt. The garden is a reminder of their innocence, she added.

Classmates Bella Strash, 11, and J.T. Ternan, 10, said Sammy was the kid who always invited others to sit with her or play at recess.

“She was so nice and always helpful,” Ternan said.

Other students shouted out memories. Sammy wanted to be a mom and have kids when she grew up. She loved the color blue. Tomatoes were a favorite matched only by her love of Cheez-Its.

On the table sat a framed photograph Bianchi-Peters gave the class.

It was a picture of Sammy, a butterfly perched on her hand.

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The kids at that school, truly amazing. It is sad though that 5th graders have to plan a memorial for a classmate.

The GPS with victim notification is a great idea and it needs to be available in every jurisdiction. Those regular restraining orders aren't worth the paper they are written on in most cases.

I would like to see technology advance even further than the GPS notification so the intended victim can leave the area. I would like the offender to be ordered to wear a device like those dog collars that keep the dog from leaving the yard. The offender would be unable to come within the 500 feet without being shocked and crumpled to their knees.

Slain Mother, Daughter Remembered At Community Event
Rather Than Mourning, Friends And Family Celebrated The Victims

POSTED: Sunday, November 6, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- A special memorial service was held Sunday afternoon to remember a murdered mother and daughter, and honor what they stood for.

Almost two months ago, Rebecca "Veggie" Gonzales, 29, and her 10-year-old daughter, Samvastion "Sammi" Ochoa, were found stabbed to death in their burned home.

To help remember her daughter and granddaughter, Gonzales' mother, Suzy Bianchi-Peters held a memorial festival in their honors.

"We came today to memorialize my daughter, my granddaughter, and include Pam as well and we wanted to use this occasion as a platform to spread community awareness," Bianchi-Peters said.

She said the day is not about mourning—instead it's about turning something traffic into something positive—by honoring Gonzales and Ochoa and the things they loved to do.

Friends and family are also trying to spread the "Just Love" message that the two lived by. More than 30 people got "Just Love" tattoos in their honor and showed them off on Sunday.

"People from different areas of her life have come together to do this," Bianchi-Peters said. "They felt strongly enough about Rebecca and Sam to actually permanently mark their bodies."

To raise community awareness, agencies such as CASA and the Rape Crisis Center were also in attendance, in an effort to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

"We've done a whole lot of mourning and I don't think that's what they would want us to do," Tiffany Osonder, a friend of the victims said. "They would want us to be celebrating and carrying on their memory and the things that they stood for."

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video I cannot embed.

SAN ANTONIO -- Two brother who are suspects in a triple murder have been indicated for sexual assault of a child and child pornography.

The Bexar County District Attorney Susan D. Reed announced Thursday that a Bexar County Grand Jury has indicted 36-year-old Baron Ochoa for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. His brother, 31-year-old Conrad Ochoa, was indicted on 38 counts of Possession of Child Pornography.

Reed says the charges stem from the investigation of a triple murder. The bodies of the 10-year-old Samvastion "Sammy" Ochoa, her mother 29-year-old Rebecca Gonzales, and 41-year old Pamela Wenske were found inside the burned home in the 200 block of Karen Lane back on September 14th. Conrad Ochoa is the father of Sammy Ochoa.

During an investigation, police searched a computer recovered from Conrad Ochoa's apartment and found video and still images that lead to the charges presented to the Grand Jury.

The murder investigation is ongoing.

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Was the child assaulted Conrad's daughter? I havent heard about this case before.

artgal16 wrote:Was the child assaulted Conrad's daughter? I havent heard about this case before.

From story above "Conrad Ochoa is the father of Sammy Ochoa."

Brothers may face death penalty

By Craig Kapitan
Updated 10:53 pm, Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Two brothers already facing the possibility of life in prison on allegations of sexual exploitation of children now are also eligible for the death penalty in the triple-slaying of an accuser — their daughter/niece — and two adults.

A grand jury Tuesday indicted Baron Ochoa, 37, and Conrad Ochoa, 32, of capital murder in the September 2011 stabbing deaths of Samvastion “Sammie” Ochoa, 10; her mother, Rebecca “Veggie” Gonzales, 29; and their roommate, Pamela Wenske, 41.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty, District Attorney Susan Reed confirmed.

“If you start killing people who report sexual assault ... that's retaliation and that's why the capital murder statute was created,” she said.

Conrad and Baron Ochoa became suspects soon after firefighters found the remains of the trio in their burning home on Karen Lane almost a year and a half ago. Conrad Ochoa was in the midst of a bitter custody dispute with Gonzales in which she had accused him of molesting their daughter.

“We were taking our time to ensure we had ... gone down all the possible evidentiary trails there were,” Reed said, describing the final result as a “spider web” of circumstantial evidence. “We had to really build the case.”

In the meantime, the brothers have remained incarcerated — the result of December 2011 child exploitation indictments that resulted from the murder investigation. After seizing Conrad Ochoa's computer, authorities reported finding thousands of illegal images of pre-pubescent children, as well as a recording prosecutors say depicts his brother having intercourse with a young girl.

Conrad Ochoa was charged with 38 counts of child pornography possession. Baron Ochoa was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Prosecutors said they still plan to pursue those charges, even if they obtain guilty verdicts for capital murder. Defense attorneys for the brothers did not return calls seeking comment.

Suzy Bianchi-Peters, Sammie Ochoa's grandmother and Gonzales' mother, said Tuesday she had encouraged prosecutors to take their time — “even if it took 10 years” — to make sure they had the strongest case possible.

“I knew it would happen when it was supposed to happen,” she said. “It was just a matter of being patient.”

She described her daughter and granddaughter as people who would light up a room. Sammie was an “amazing soul” who wanted to write a book so that other abused children would know they weren't alone, she said.

“She suffered through incredible abuse and showed the courage of a warrior in telling (about it),” she said.

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10/11/2013

Not  a day goes by Suzy Bianchi-Peters doesn’t think about her daughter and granddaughter.  Investigators say back in September of 2011, Bianchi-Peter’s daughter Rebecca “Veggie” Gonzales,  granddaughter Sammy Ochoa, and a family friend were murdered and then their home was set on fire.

Sammy Ochoa’s father and her uncle, Baron Ochoa, have both been charged with capital murder and are awaiting trial. “It doesn't matter how long it takes for them to go to trial, it has to be done right the first time”, said Bianchi-Peters.

While Bianchi-Peters waits for the Ochoa brothers’ day in court she continues to cherish how both her granddaughter Sammy and daughter Rebecca lived.

Bianchi-Peters  has partnered with long time childhood friend, Manuel Familiar, to create a series of bilingual children’s books. Friday night Bianchi-Peters unveiled their first  book, A Reason for Rainbows.

"It speaks to the gentle nature of how we need to be with each other”, Bianchi-Peters went on to say.

The book is about a kind and gentle serpent and it’s in honor of Bianchi-Peters granddaughter Sammy. "It's my way of honoring her and thanking her for her inspiration”, she went on to say.

Bianchi-Peters said her granddaughter Sammy dreamed of becoming a teacher and wanted to write books of her own.

Along with Friday nights book launch, Bianchi-Peters celebrated Sammy’s 13th birthday.


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