Jose Santo Bugarin On Saturday, September 12th 1987, Jose Santo Bugarin (26) and Alvaro Rodolfo Escobar (31) were charged with three counts of murder in the San Jose deaths of Jesus Lopez Jr. (11), his brother Cesar Lopez (5), and their friend, Berenice Marquez (6), who were playing on a 15 by 25 foot lawn outside 1821 South King Road. A fourth child, Francisco Torres (9) suffered a broken leg and collarbone.
On September 12th 1987, Bugarin and Escobar were occupants in a 1978 black Pontiac Trans Am when it swerved into the front yard of the residence and collided with the four children, before striking a fence. In his efforts to flee the scene, Jose Bugarin did the unthinkable and reversed the vehicle back over the children and sped off, only to be arrested a short time later about 1/2 mile away. They were held without bail on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. His callousness was revealed in Bugarin's statement, which read that he "was aware that he had run over the children and assumed that they were under the car, but he was primarily concerned with fleeing". A witness to the tragic event, Eddie Petersen (19) said the driver "was knocking over kids like they were nothing". Police Lt. Ken Hawkes stated "I'm getting sick and tired myself of drunk drivers butchering people".
On Monday, September 14th 1987, a battered and bruised Jose Santo Bugarin appeared in Santa Clara Municipal Court to be arraigned on four outstanding warrants totaling S21,500. Two for a suspended driver's license. Unsurprisingly, Jose Santo Bugarin had a history of traffic offences dating back many years. The deaths of these three children were widely featured in dozens of newspapers throughout America, including New York
On September 12th 1987, Bugarin and Escobar were occupants in a 1978 black Pontiac Trans Am when it swerved into the front yard of the residence and collided with the four children, before striking a fence. In his efforts to flee the scene, Jose Bugarin did the unthinkable and reversed the vehicle back over the children and sped off, only to be arrested a short time later about 1/2 mile away. They were held without bail on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. His callousness was revealed in Bugarin's statement, which read that he "was aware that he had run over the children and assumed that they were under the car, but he was primarily concerned with fleeing". A witness to the tragic event, Eddie Petersen (19) said the driver "was knocking over kids like they were nothing". Police Lt. Ken Hawkes stated "I'm getting sick and tired myself of drunk drivers butchering people".
On Monday, September 14th 1987, a battered and bruised Jose Santo Bugarin appeared in Santa Clara Municipal Court to be arraigned on four outstanding warrants totaling S21,500. Two for a suspended driver's license. Unsurprisingly, Jose Santo Bugarin had a history of traffic offences dating back many years. The deaths of these three children were widely featured in dozens of newspapers throughout America, including New York
San Jose Mercury, California Incredibly, Jose Santo Bugarin pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges when appearing in a San Jose Municipal Court on Monday, October 26th 1987. This latest development was reported in the San Jose Mercury newspaper on October 27th 1987. The Zodiac Killer, who we know was influenced by what he read in the newspapers (and the media in general), had referenced San Jose directly and indirectly in many of his communications, threatened a San Jose widow in a letter on November 21st 1969, made a phone call to the San Jose Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969, insinuated his involvement in the murders of San Jose teenagers, Kathy Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14) on August 3rd 1969, and had written his pseudonym on a tombstone removed from a San Jose cemetery on September 18th 1973.
So it isn't really surprising that the Zodia Killer had his nose firmly glued in the news coming out of San Jose in current times. After hearing that Jose Santo Bugarin was now pleading not guilty to murder and manslaughter on October 26th 1987, the Zodiac Killer would have composed a letter and mailed it to the Vallejo Times-Herald almost immediately. It was postmarked the following day, on October 27th 1987, with the contents seemingly piggybacking off the disturbing case of the three murdered children, stating "This is the Zodiac speaking. I am crackproof. Tell herb caen that I am still here. Tell the blue pigs if want me I will be out driving around on Halloween in my death machine looking for some kiddies to run over. Cars make nice weapons. The pigs can catch me if They can find me out there. Just like in the movie The Car. Tell the kiddies watch before they cross the street on Halloween nite. Tell Tochi my new plans".
So it isn't really surprising that the Zodia Killer had his nose firmly glued in the news coming out of San Jose in current times. After hearing that Jose Santo Bugarin was now pleading not guilty to murder and manslaughter on October 26th 1987, the Zodiac Killer would have composed a letter and mailed it to the Vallejo Times-Herald almost immediately. It was postmarked the following day, on October 27th 1987, with the contents seemingly piggybacking off the disturbing case of the three murdered children, stating "This is the Zodiac speaking. I am crackproof. Tell herb caen that I am still here. Tell the blue pigs if want me I will be out driving around on Halloween in my death machine looking for some kiddies to run over. Cars make nice weapons. The pigs can catch me if They can find me out there. Just like in the movie The Car. Tell the kiddies watch before they cross the street on Halloween nite. Tell Tochi my new plans".
Albany Times Union, New York After the black Pontiac Trans Am of Jose Santo Bugarin slammed into the four children, it struck a fence and then reversed over their bodies The movie "The Car" (1977), referenced by the Zodiac Killer in his letter, has some interesting parallels. Here is the opening description of the movie's plot from Wikipedia: "Two cyclists riding through a canyon are followed down the road by a mysterious matte black car. At a bridge, the car proceeds to crush one cyclist against the wall and ram the other from behind, catapulting him off the bridge. A hitchhiker, hoping to get a ride, encounters the car and insults it after it purposely tries to run him down. It halts to a stop, reverses backwards, and runs him over several times before driving off. The local sheriff's office, called to a series of hit and runs, gets a lead on the car".
The Zodiac Killer had previously claimed on October 13th 1969 he was going to "wipe out a school bus some morning. Just shoot out the front tire + then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out", indicating that he was quite prepared to glorify in the deaths of young children. Noticing that the murders of Jesus Lopez Jr. (11), his brother Cesar Lopez (5), and their friend, Berenice Marquez (6) received newspaper coverage all over America, he anticipated that a threat on young children, so soon after the San Jose hit and run on September 12th 1987, would probably achieve similar results. The Zodiac Killer was correct, because his October 27th 1987 letter was featured from west to east coast, and in between.
STILL DRIVING AROUND IN 1987 [PART TWO]
The Zodiac Killer had previously claimed on October 13th 1969 he was going to "wipe out a school bus some morning. Just shoot out the front tire + then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out", indicating that he was quite prepared to glorify in the deaths of young children. Noticing that the murders of Jesus Lopez Jr. (11), his brother Cesar Lopez (5), and their friend, Berenice Marquez (6) received newspaper coverage all over America, he anticipated that a threat on young children, so soon after the San Jose hit and run on September 12th 1987, would probably achieve similar results. The Zodiac Killer was correct, because his October 27th 1987 letter was featured from west to east coast, and in between.
STILL DRIVING AROUND IN 1987 [PART TWO]
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