One of the victims in Tuesday’s shooting at a southwest valley grocery tried to reconnect with his estranged teenage sons just hours before the killings.
Victor Frias Rosas and his wife, Amanda Frias Rosas, were killed while shopping at the Smith’s at 9750 South Maryland Parkway, where they both worked.
Police said 43-year-old Alejandro Estrada — Amanda Frias Rosas’ ex-boyfriend and the father of her two children — stalked the couple beforehand and opened fire as they turned down aisle four. Estrada was armed with a handgun, an automatic rifle, and a lot of ammunition, according to police.
Estrada appeared in court briefly on Thursday afternoon for a separate case in which he faces home invasion, burglary and gun charges. His face appeared to be bruised and swollen.
Public defenders did not make a bail argument and Estrada continues to be held without bail.
Victor Frias Rosas had two sons from a previous marriage, Anthony, 18, and Marcus, 15, whom he had been working to bring back into his care. The boys lived with their maternal grandmother for years, she said. But as recently as the day he was killed, Victor Frias Rosas expressed that he wanted them to move in with him.
“Victor always tried to rise above the situation that he was raised in,” the boy’s grandmother, Angela Mejia, said. “He tried to build his life around his boys and did as well as he could.”
Mejia called the slayings “horrific.”
She described her former son-in-law as charismatic, outgoing, and persevering. When Victor Frias Rosas’s own mother died when he was only 13, Mejia said.
Anthony and Marcus found out about their father’s death through news reports, according to Mejia.
“His boys are just broken over this,” Mejia added.
The grandmother said that she and the boys had been up until 2:00 a.m. praying, crying, and comforting each other.
“If it were not for our faith, I do not know where we would be,” Mejia said.
A GoFundMe for the family had raised $3,700 toward its $13,000 goal for memorial expenses for Victor Frias Rosas.
Amanda Frias Rosas also had two children, a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, whom she shared with Estrada. The two were ensnarled in a custody battle in which Estrada had been ordered to pay hundreds of dollars in child support, court records show.
Police said that Estrada had told his roommate weeks before the killings that he was worried about being jailed for the money he owed. Prosecutors now say they are considering the death penalty for Estrada.
‘May you be at peace’
Meanwhile, Smith’s grocery store remained closed on Thursday, and employees said they did not know when it would reopen.
A memorial with flickering devotional candles, flowers, potted plants, and a photo of Victor and Amanda Frias Rosas had been set up outside the entrance.
A pink sticky note placed on the pavement in front of the photo read, “I’m sorry the evil took you from this world. May you be at peace.”
On Thursday morning, Smith’s employees arrived in small groups, turning away would-be customers. Inside, a security guard manned the entrance, ushering staff members.
Around 8:30 a.m., Dennis Hesia placed a bouquet of flowers on the edge of the memorial and paused. He had known Victor Frias Rosas for decades after working together at Smith’s.
“When I saw his picture on the news, I couldn’t believe it,” Hesia said. “He’s a fun, honest, and hard-working guy.”
Hesia recalled how the Smith’s employees, including Frias Rosas, often spent time together at nearby PT’s Gold after work. Hesia said the deaths of Victor and Amanda Frias Rosas have been hard on the team.
When Frias Rosas faced financial struggles years ago, coworkers came together to help pay for his apartment. Another employee arranged for his transfer to the Las Vegas Boulevard location so he could be closer to home without a car.
“Everyone is close,” Hesia added. “We’re like a family.”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com. Reporter Noble Brigham contributed to this story.
