LATEST: The juvenile girl suspected in the slaying has denied murder and torture charges.
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — A small memorial formed on a National City sidewalk Thursday as friends mourned the Tijuana woman who was stabbed to death while driving for Uber this week.
Police suspect a juvenile girl of stabbing 58-year-old Raquel Spohn Wehber around 3 p.m. on July 6. A 911 caller reported a woman being attacked inside a vehicle on Lanoitan Avenue, and by the time officers arrived, they found Wehber unresponsive.
Witnesses tipped police off to a girl they had spotted running away from the scene, investigators say, leading to the suspect’s arrest. She was booked into San Diego Juvenile Detention Center on a murder charge, but many questions remain about what led up to the stabbing.
The brutal attack left loved ones reeling. Dropping off flowers, candles and a framed photo of Wehber near the scene of her death, friends told FOX 5 Thursday that they were mourning a life cut short.
“I couldn’t believe it, how it happened. She had so many plans,” Beatrice Garcia said. “A very happy person. She would be there for you if you needed her.”
And as for the alleged killer: “The only thing I can say is, I hope she gets tried like an adult,” Garcia said.
Uber confirmed a photo of Wehber from social media belonged to their slain employee.
“The senseless and brutal crime that took the life of Raquel Spohn Wehber is heartbreaking and our thoughts are with her family. We stand ready to work with law enforcement on their investigation,” Uber said in a statement to FOX 5.
An Uber representative said the company plans to get in touch with Wehber’s family to offer support.
“Detectives are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the Uber account used during this incident,” National City police said in a statement. “There is still no confirmation as to whether the suspect and Wehber were acquaintances. The motive for this crime is unknown at this time.”