Family offers own money as reward for information in double homicide
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Friends are coming together to mourn a woman found dead in her west side home Thursday.
IMPD officers found 39-year-old Victoria Valdez and 31-year-old Vincent Grant in the home on the 3500 block of Soaring Eagle Court. The Marion County Coroner’s Office said both victims died of gunshot wounds, but detectives are still trying to figure out who killed them and why.
Officers said they’re investigating why the victims were together in the home and if they knew each other.
Jimmy McMillian said his girlfriend was best friends with Valdez. He said he doesn’t know Grant and he doesn’t know why Grant and Valdez were together.
McMillian said he has no idea who killed Valdez or why.
“She was full of life. She was extremely loving. She would do anything for you at any time. She wanted everyone to be okay,” McMillian said.
McMillian said Valdez was a loving mother of two who joined his motorcycle club, 317 Ryders, two years ago.
He said he spoke to her every week on the phone or in person. Just three days ago, McMillian said they chatted about the upcoming Circle City Classic.
“I’m in complete shock. Disbelief,” he said. “We need to exhort all resources to figure out what causes somebody to walk into somebody’s house and kill them.”
Police said they responded to a call at the home around 4 p.m. and found the two victims dead. Officers said they found the door partially open.
“Prayers go out to his family as they’re suffering from a tragic loss as well,” McMillian said.
McMillian said his favorite memory of Valdez comes from a camping trip with other bikers.
The bikers brought their kids and some of those kids brought water guns.
Some. But not all.
“She goes out to Walmart and, with her own money, buys 80 water guns for every kid in the camping trip to have the biggest water fight,” he said. “It’s legendary now.”
317 Ryders planned a vigil for Valdez at 10 p.m. Friday at 3632 Roosevelt Avenue in Indianapolis.
They plan to ride their motorcycles to the vigil.Family plans to offer own reward money for information
Grant’s family was feeling unimaginable grief Friday afternoon. “I’m hurting, my whole family hurting,” said George Qualls. He’s one of five of Grant’s brothers and sisters. “I’m supposed to be the head (of the group_, the leader, but man I’m so weak right now.”
Overcome with pain, at times Qualls struggled to put words together as he described his brother. He said grant was a successful entrepreneur with plans to open a tobacco shop soon. “You took an amazing man, you took an awesome young dude, you too my momma’s baby,” he said to the person suspect of committing the crime. “I plead for (Valdez’s) family, too. I really do plead for them because ((Valdez and Grant) were business partners.”
Qualls’ plea specifically is to the public, to anyone who might have information about who committed the senseless crime. His family is even offering up a reward if it helps lead to an arrest.
“We know you live by the code ‘don’t snitch’ and ‘don’t talk’, this is not about that right now,” said relative Kenyatta Robinson. “It’s about what’s right.”
Qualls also had a message for the person police are determined the find.
“God have mercy on your soul and I forgive you, I forgive you. Because God got the last say in everything we do no matter what goes down or what goes on,” he said.
