A suspect has been arrested in the drive-by shooting death of Obdulia Sanchez in Stockton, California. Sanchez, who served prison time for a fatal 2017 car crash she livestreamed, was killed in December 2025 alongside a surviving male victim. Monica Barajas faces charges of murder and attempted murder.
Obdulia Sanchez, 26, gained notoriety in 2017 when, at age 18, she crashed her car while intoxicated and livestreaming on Instagram. She continued recording after the wreck, broadcasting images of her 14-year-old sister Jacqueline's dead body to thousands of followers. An unnamed 15-year-old girl in the vehicle was injured but survived the crash. Sanchez pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI, and child endangerment charges. She was released from prison early and faced another legal issue in 2019. During her sentencing, Sanchez stated, “I feel like such an idiot. Why did God choose me to be the older sister? I can’t even do my job right.” In a letter to CBS affiliate KGPE, she explained her actions: “I made that video because I knew I had more than 5,000 followers. It was the only way my sister would get a decent burial. I would never expose my sister like that. I anticipated the public donating money because my family isn’t rich.” On December 2025, deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of shots fired in Stockton. They found Sanchez and an unidentified male with gunshot wounds. Sanchez died at a hospital, while the man survived. Three months later, on March 12, 2026, authorities executed a search warrant at a Stockton home and arrested Monica Barajas. She was booked into San Joaquin County Jail on murder and attempted murder charges and was scheduled for arraignment on Monday.