$50K reward offered to help find Mar Vista mother's murder suspect

MAR VISTA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The family of a 56-year-old woman who was murdered last month pleaded with the public Wednesday to help bring her killer to justice.

A neighbor had found Juana Sandoval on the ground and unconscious on Feb. 17. She was next to her car in the Mar Vista Gardens housing development in the 4900 block of Marionwood Drive around 7 p.m.

Authorities said that night, when a powerful storm struck the Southland, there was a blackout in the neighborhood she was in. They said she died from blunt force trauma to the head.

"We keep going over what we think might have happened. We're just driving ourselves insane. We haven't left home for about two-and-a-half weeks. We're just desperate to find out what happened," daughter Maritza Galvez said.

Sandoval was a wife, mother and grandmother of two. The family doesn't know anything about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Councilman Mike Bonin and Sandoval's family asked the Los Angeles City Council to approve a $50,000 reward in the case.

"Every day we wake up and we wish it's a nightmare. And we wish that we would have been there, we would have called her," Maritza Galvez said.

Juan Galvez said he thanks God that he met his wife of 38 years. He said his wife lived to try and help others. She was also a caretaker for her two grandchildren.

Police said nothing was stolen from Sandoval when she was killed. Her family hopes the reward will help find the person or persons responsible for the violent murder.

Anyone with more information was urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department or you can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.