College Voice

Issue date: 4/5/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Yoshi's Choa "George" Chou, 23, GCC student, was one of the victims in a double homicide March 15. He and a co-worker from Yoshi's Fast Food Restaurant, Liliana Sanchez-Cabrera, were both shot to death.

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Yoshi's Choa "George" Chou had offered Liliana Sanchez-Cabrera, 20, of Phoenix, a ride home from work on March 15. The two were last seen just after 9 p.m. It is believed by police that they left together in Chou's vehicle.

On March 15 the bodies of Liliana Sanchez-Cabrera, 19, of Phoenix and Choa "George" Chou, 23, a Taiwanese national were found approximately one mile apart. Both were shot and discarded. Sanchez-Cabera was left in a car in a Burger King parking lot and Chou's body was found in an alley. No arrests have been made.

Chou came to the United States about four years ago from Taiwan. He had an aunt and cousin who already lived in the Valley. Chou's cousin attended Glendale Community College (GCC) and she introduced him to the school and the surrounding community. Chou enrolled in many English as a Second Language courses (ESL) to learn English because he knew none upon his arrival to this country.

Stephanie Alexander one of Chou's ESL teachers for several semesters, said that he was very shy and very quiet.
"He got along with his classmates very well, everyone liked him. He was just a kind person," Alexander said.

Chou excelled in his ESL courses and upon completion he had progressed into regular English courses. He took many different classes such as art and design in an effort to become a well-rounded citizen. His dream was to become a travel agent someday and see the world.

Chou liked to play sports such as basketball and racquetball in his spare time.
Alexander continued to see Chou around the GCC campus even after she no longer had him in class.

Over spring break, Alexander turned on the television to find out about the brutal murder of her former student.

"I was shocked and very disturbed to hear about his murder," Alexander said. "He was the last person I ever thought something like this would happen to."

David Miller who also had Chou as a student said, "I found him (Chou) to be extremely quiet, yet polite and personable, always a smile on his face. I can't imagine someone so soft spoken being killed in such a way-I only hope he did not suffer."

A friend from his childhood had family who lived here and owned a franchise of Yoshi's Japanese Fast Food Restaurant. When they found out a friend of the family was moving here from Taiwan, they offered Chou a place to work that would allow for flexibility with his school schedule. Chou worked at Yoshi's off and on for the last four years.

The owners of Yoshi's description of Chou echoed that of Alexander's description- he was quiet, shy and polite. They, however, had the privilege of knowing him on a much more personal level.

They said Chou was very considerate and extremely hardworking. In fact, they said he could rarely say no to anyone. Whether he was asked to put in extra time at work or do someone a favor, he always went above and beyond expectations. For example, the night he was killed was a night that Chou was not scheduled to work. He was picking up a shift as a favor for a co-worker.

Cabrera's aunt was a regular cook at Yoshi's for some time. So, Cabrera wasn't an absolute stranger when she started work at Yoshi's. March 15, the night she was murdered, was her first night of work.
Cabrera was known to be a good girl.

"She went to school, to work, and home," said one of the owners of Yoshi's.

Chou and Cabrera had barely met that night, but Chou overheard her saying that she was going to take the bus home. So Chou offered her a ride since they lived in the same direction.

Before leaving, Chou called his younger brother, Phillip, to make sure that Phillip had eaten and told him that he was going to go out with some friends that night. Phillip had come to the United States to live with Chou recently. Employees said the two were last seen just after 9 p.m.
Cabrera's body was discovered by the employees of the Burger King in the 2200 block of East Indian School Road at 8:02 a.m. on the morning of March 16. Detective David Barnes said that the employees had first noticed the car in the parking lot at approximately 5 a.m.

Chou's body wasn't discovered until 11:45 a.m. that Wednesday in an alley in the 3200 block of East Indian School Road.

It has stumped the police that Chou's body was found one mile east of Yoshi's and Cabrera's body was found in Chou's vehicle in the Burger King parking lot, two blocks west of Yoshi's. The direction of travel for the two victims if they were going home would have been west. Facts such as these make this already difficult to comprehend act of violence all the more puzzling.

What transpired between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.? Was this a premeditated murder? From talking with those close to the victims, it seems unlikely.

Was it a random act of violence? Was it a case of mistaken identity? Or was it just as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
The many facets of this crime and the details of the investigation are not being disclosed at this time, but detectives are analyzing evidence from the vehicle.

The owner's of Yoshi's are extremely saddened by the very nature of this crime, but more so by the loss of a remarkable young man whose nickname was George and who by all accounts, "was just beginning to reach his potential and blossom here in America," said one of the owners of Yoshi's.

For more information you can visit The Friends of Liliana and George website at http://lilianaandgeorge.dnsalias.net. There you will be able to make a donation to The Reward Fund toward the arrest of the perpetrators of this crime. In just over a week The Reward Fund currently totals $10,000.

If you have any information regarding this crime, you are urged to call Silent Witness at W-I-T-N-E-S-S (480-948-6377) or toll free at 1-800-343-TIPS. Callers will remain anonymous and are eligible to earn the reward.

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