Navarro’s Promise
Luis Navarro’s life changed forever on January 2, 1993, when his daughter Veronica Ultreras and her 3-year-old granddaughter Cynthia were killed in their Highland Park home. Initially dismissed as a tragic accident caused by a Christmas tree fire, it was later revealed that the fire was arson, and both mother and daughter had been strangled. Since that day, Navarro has dedicated his life to seeking justice for his family, relentlessly pressuring city officials and law enforcement to keep the case alive. He calls detectives weekly, shows up unannounced at police headquarters, and canvasses neighborhoods in search of witnesses. Despite 18 years of effort, the case remains unsolved, a stark reminder of the disparity in resources allocated to high-profile crimes versus those like his family’s tragedy.
Navarro’s crusade has come at great personal cost—his marriage dissolved, his plumbing business collapsed, and he has endured years of emotional isolation. Yet his persistence has yielded small victories, such as increasing the maximum reward the city can offer for homicide cases, now $100,000 for his family’s case. Navarro’s story is not just about his own loss but about the systemic inequities in the pursuit of justice. His unyielding fight serves as a painful reminder of the human cost behind unsolved murders and the enduring strength it takes to demand accountability.