BREAKING NEWS

image by Klaasend

Tracy, CA- Missing young girl from  Tracy, California since March 27th at 4:15PM; The remains of  eight year old Sandra Cantu have been recovered. This morning at 10:03 am, a Farmer called the San Joaquin Sherriff’s office to report a suspicious black “sealed container” floating in an irrigation pond that was being drained.

Earlier this evening, FBI crime scene investigators removed the “container” and escorted the bag to the coroners office in French Camp.

According to search reports, The pond was drained and refilled seven days ago; therefore the bag could not have been placed there prior to Sandra’s disappearance on March 27. The area around the Silva Dairy Farm has been searched twice by ground searchers, but the ponds were not subject to side scan sonar review.

Blink on Crime previously uncovered that one of the named persons of interest in this case, Mr. David Leroy Slayter, lived next to the Cantu/Chavez household prior to moving into Space #43, the residence he shares with his companion Debra and a son Justin. 

Sandra was a beaming, bubbly eight year old who lived with her grandparents in Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park at 812 West Clover Rd in Tracy. The video surveillance taken from her home the day she went missing captured Sandra leaving the family home. 

She was found approximately six miles from her residence . 

Sandra was the daughter of Danny Cantu and Maria Chavez and the maternal grandaughter of Delores and Jose Chavez.

BREAKING NEWS

Update 6:15PM- Coroner is on the Scene:

Tracy, CA- A Black Suitcase has been found in San Joaquin County in an irrigation Pond off S. Becchetti Road.  A one mile radius has been cordoned off and farm operations have been asked to cease while the FBI investigates the container which appears to be a suitcase, pictured below. 

It was found by Farm employees while draining the pond. The area had been searched previously, but the pond was full at the time. At the time of this post, the FBI has not opened the container, and press has been barred from the scene.  According to the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office, no person of interest has been named a suspect or detained this afternoon.

Investigators can not rule out the possibility it may be related to Sandra’s disappearance.   There is a press conference scheduled for today at 3:30PM PST.

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Tracy, CA- Sandra Cantu, 8, has been missing for 10 days. She was last scene on video surveillance captured from her home camera at approximately 4:15 PM on Friday, March 27, 2009. 

 Are detectives closer to a suspect? On Friday Evening,  FBI agents and Forensic teams, along with Tracy Police , converged upon the home of David L. Slayter, SPC 43 in Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park.  Blinkoncrime has learned there is reason to believe Mr. Slayter may have lived NEXT DOOR to Sandra and her family at one time. 

 Slayter and a woman he identified as his wife, Debra, had been at several candlelight vigils for the chid until Mr. Slayter was interviewed aboud Sandra Cantu’s disappearance .

As reported previously, Mr. and Mrs. Slayter have admitted that Slayter spent time with Sandra several days per week on a regular basis. She claims they went bowling, played yahtzee, and that Sandra did not have many childhood playmates. Slayter makes the third person of interest in this case. The third POI form the same park, and apparently, former Guy Next Door.. (more…)

Tracy, CA- The case of missing Tracy California girl Sandra Cantu, 8, has entered it’s eighth day with no sign of the child. There have been rapid developments in the case, including the release of the 8 second surveillance footage of Sandra leaving her families home last Friday March 27th at 4 PM.

Yesterday, Tracy Police and FBI converged on more neighbors of the Cantu family;  David and Debra Slayter. The Slayter’s reside in Space #43 of Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park and in an interview they gave last week, see Sandra at their home several days per week.

She didn’t have a lot of kid friends,” David Slayter said. “She hung out with adults. … I always told her, you’ve got to be careful with some adults. You’ve got to be careful.”

Both vehicles registered to Mr. Slayter were also towed from the scene and placed on an enclosed Impound Bay used by Crime Scene Investigators with the FBI.  A source inside the investigation has confirmed that Slayter was taken for questioning, but it was not to Tracy Police Head Quarters as press were stationed there to capture footage of his arrival. There are unconfirmed reports that Slayter was questioned by the FBI.  Late last evening, a park resident reported witnessing Strayer return to his home and enter the residence after being dropped off.

Tracy Police Lt Jeremy Watney did confirm their was a third warrant served within the park, but declined to give details about what led Police to Slayter. Shortly thereafter, a road block was set up at the entrance to the park and all vehicles going into or exiting the park were searched. Watney declined to comment on any items found during any searches executed this week, citing that information is awaiting a judge’s decision on whether or not it will be sealed. 

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Tracy, CA- Sandra Cantu, 8, has been missing from her family’s mobile home park since Friday March 27th. She was last seen on surveillance video at 4PM leaving her home in the opposite direction of the exit to the park.

Two men declared by Tracy Police Department as persons of interest; Frank Wohler and Christopher Sinclair, both Orchard Estates residents, remain under surveillance sources inside the investigation revealed to blinkoncrime.com.

Christopher Sinclair, 49, whose cars have been impounded for forensic testing, has a long history with the law. Blink on crime has confirmed that  Mr. Sinclair has used the alias of his deceased brother Brandon on more than one occasion. Additionally, a former resident of the Orchard Estates mobile home park, Rebecca Crowler, filed a complaint in 2003 seeking a restraining order from Sinclair charging he bashed her head into a windshield. A restraining order was also sought by Sinclair’s parents a year later in February 2004; they own the mobile home he resides in currently. They stated in their testimony seeking  the order he forced his way into their home, and that he was a heavy drinker and drug abuser.

Tracy Police Lt. Jeremy Watney declared Tracy PD  has not ruled anyone out, including Danny Cantu, Sandra’s Father. It was reported earlier today that Mr. Cantu agreed to a polygraph test, but police would not confirm that information as it is considered proprietary.

For the third time, search efforts focued on the Old River, located north of Tracy and accessible from S. Tracy Avenue. There are unsubstantiated reports that cadaver dogs have “hit” there, but police remain tight lipped about what led them there in the first place.  Within Tracy, volunteers have been sifting through trash designated for the landfill for the last five days. Police will not specify if they have found anything there or why they are sifting through the trash.  Watney went on to say that Tracy PD has received almost 600 leads, all of which they follow up on, regardless of the source. Late this afternoon volunteers searching the landfill confirmed a Hello Kitty tshirt has been found in the trash. Maria Chavez, Sandra’s Mother told police the shirt was NOT hers.

Sacramento Bounty Hunter, Leonard Padilla, has thrown his hat into the search, offering a limited reward of $10K for Sandra’s safe return. Crimestoppers and The Carrington Sund Foundation have offerd a $7K reward as well.

Police are asking if you have any information about this case or Sandra’s wherabouts to call the tip line: 830-4225.

Leonard Padilla can be reached at:  www.leonardpadilla.net

UPDATED at end of article 4/01/09 11 am,

Tracy, CA-  Breaking Developments in the case of missing 8 year old Sandra Cantu. Sandra was last seen outside her home at Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park at 4 PM on Friday March 27.  Although the family and their spokesperson have adamantly stated otherwise, Sgt. Tony Shenemen of the Tracy Police Department maintains law enforcements position that they will find this young girl alive and she has not been abducted.

Vehicles towed to secure enclosed units

 Police have confirmed there are 2 men who reside in the complex that are considered persons of interest in the case and are being interviewed by the FBI. Late last evening, FBI Crime Scene Technicians removed two vehicles from the complex in closed trailers in conjunction with additional evidence recovered from different locations. The name of one of the men who have been identified as persons of interest is being withheld pending approval by a judge. The other, Christian Sinclair, 49, a resident of Orchard Estates was arrested last evening for interfering in a Police Investigation but was later released.  The incident is said to be unrelated to the ongoing investigation as to the whereabouts of Sandra Cantu. Late this afternoon, the second person of interest, Frank Wohler, a martial arts instructer admitted to a source on the scene that it was he who kissed Sandra Cantu at the pool two years ago in an effort to be nice. He also said she would stop over to see if she could help with yard work on occasion.

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