Owners of Eden Garden and Landscape on Lathrop’s South Manthey Road refused to comment.
“This should never have happened,” a man said over the phone before hanging up. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Sandra’s family, who was unavailable for comment, reportedly showed up at the landscaping store and discovered that the statue was missing. Another statue from the same business was stolen in recent weeks, according to news reports.
Recently, someone donated a pink crepe myrtle, which was planted in the girl’s memory by Sandra’s school, Jacobsen Elementary. Also, a Southern California family donated a playhouse in her honor.
Earlier this month, the Hearts ’n’ Pieces Quilt Guild presented the Cantu Family with an “angel quilt” made by guild members in memory of Sandra. The guild meets monthly at Tracy’s Orchard Mobile Estates Clubhouse.
Sandra vanished March 27 from her home at Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy. Ten days later, farmworkers found her body stuffed in a suitcase. Shortly after, investigators arrested a neighbor woman, 28-year-old Melissa Chantel Huckaby, on suspicion of murdering the girl with special circumstances of kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts on a child and rape by instrument.
Huckaby pleaded not guilty to the charges last month. A secret grand jury is convening this week and next week or so at the San Joaquin County Superior Court to hear the case against Huckaby, who before her April 10 arrest lived a few doors down from Sandra.
• Contact a Tracy Press reporter or editor at 835-3030 or tpnews@tracypress.com.
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