A woman from California, who was previously convicted for killing her teenage sister in a drunk-driving incident she livestreamed, has herself been murdered in a drive-by shooting.
A Fatal Shooting in Stockton
Obdulia Sanchez, aged 26, was shot and killed on Tuesday night after a gunman opened fire at a residence in Stockton, located roughly 80 miles outside of San Francisco. According to a police press release, Sanchez and another victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, were both struck by gunfire and transported to a nearby hospital.
The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to KXTV that Sanchez succumbed to her injuries. The other victim is believed to have survived, though authorities have not released further details on their condition. Investigators have not yet identified a suspect or established a motive for the attack, and there is currently no indication the shooting is linked to the death of Sanchez's sister.
A Notorious Past: The Livestreamed Crash
Sanchez had a significant criminal history, centred on a horrific crash in 2017. She was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI, and child endangerment for the incident that claimed the life of her 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline.
Prosecutors stated that Sanchez, then 18, had been livestreaming on Instagram while driving a 2003 Buick near Los Banos, about 100 miles south of San Francisco. The video showed her taking her hands off the steering wheel. She veered onto the road's shoulder, overcorrected, and sent the car crashing through a fence before it overturned.
Jacqueline was ejected from the vehicle and died. In a shocking turn, Sanchez then picked up her phone and resumed the livestream, capturing her sister's bloodied and lifeless body. She was heard saying, "I killed my sister... I know I'm going to prison, but I don't care." Jacqueline's then-girlfriend, also ejected, was seen in the footage trying to summon help.
Hospital records showed Sanchez's blood alcohol level was 0.1% at the time of the crash. The group had been travelling to Stockton for Jacqueline's Catholic Confirmation Ceremony the following day.
A Controversial Sentence and Further Trouble
In February 2018, Sanchez was sentenced to more than six years in prison. However, she was released on parole after serving only 26 months, having received credit for good behaviour. Her freedom was short-lived; she was arrested again just four weeks later for crashing a car during a police pursuit.
Following her initial conviction, Sanchez sent an eight-page letter from jail in which she offered a controversial explanation for filming the aftermath of the crash. She claimed she did it because she knew her family could not afford a funeral and hoped her followers would donate. "It was the only way my sister would get a decent burial," she wrote.
During her sentencing hearing, she expressed remorse to the court, stating, "I'm so sorry, if I could take her place, I would. My negligence killed my sister. I was stupid, immature, and irresponsible." The investigation into her own violent death continues as police seek answers in Stockton.
