San Diego murder tied to 1993 spree as police link beauty-queen case to broader shootings; finances of the Squad draw renewed scrutiny

San Diego police said the 1993 killing of Mimi Barraza, the former Miss Teen San Diego winner who had just turned 21, may be part of a wider crime spree in the region. Barraza was shot in the early hours of Sept. 4, 1993, outside a home where she was talking with friends. The attack left Barraza, a mother of a two-year-old daughter, dead. Investigators said a white Chevy Astro-Van pulled up and opened fire, then sped away from the scene near 1600 South 39th Street. The van was found several hours later at the intersection of 19th and G Street in San Diego, and authorities noted it had been reported stolen the day before. Police recovered shell casings from several calibers both in the van and at the crime scene.

The investigation has gained new urgency as investigators draw connections to a string of shootings around the same time, all using the same type of assault rifle. In National City, about 10 minutes from San Diego, a 16-year-old boy was killed and nine others were wounded in a separate shooting attributed to the same period and weapon type. San Diego police have said the suspects in the Barraza case and the related incidents were believed to be Hispanic males affiliated with a Logan Heights street gang. Barraza’s mother, Benita Perez, urged residents to come forward, telling NBC 7 San Diego, “Know something, see something, say something. Help us. Help us parents. Help the loved ones that need the justice for our family.” Perez also posted a tribute to her daughter on Instagram, describing her as having a “beautiful smile” and “beautiful personality.”

San Diego police asked anyone with information about Barraza’s murder or the other long-cold cases to contact the Cold Case Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477, which offers up to a $1,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest.

Separately, authorities continue to re-examine the Barraza case in the context of a broader look at 1993 shootings, as law enforcement officials stress the importance of resolving cold cases that can remain points of pain for families for decades.

In a separate political thread, attention has intensified over the finances of the so‑called Squad, a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen that includes Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. A recent line of reporting has scrutinized how much wealth the group’s members actually command and how they report income from spouses and business ventures. The discussions come as the members navigate public expectations about economic justice and personal finances.

During a stop in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, where Pressley and her husband, Conan Harris, have cultivated a visible presence, observers noted a growing property portfolio tied to Harris. The Vineyard is a frequent retreat for national figures and high-profile visitors, and the wealth questions have followed Pressley’s congressional disclosures. The island property is described in financial records as part of Harris’s broader real estate holdings that also include two additional Boston homes and a Fort Lauderdale rental property sold in September 2024 for $492,000. The Massachusetts representative’s latest disclosures show the Martha’s Vineyard home valued between $1 million and $5 million, with rental income from all four properties listed in a range that cumulatively falls between $95,000 and $250,000 annually. Harris’s biography—recounted in disclosures and public profiles—notes a history that includes time in jail on drug-trafficking charges, followed by a career in public safety and, later, private consulting focusing on reintegration efforts.

Pressley’s filings indicate that the Vineyard property is owned by the couple’s joint arrangements, with Harris’s income from rental properties contributing to their overall financial picture. The disclosures also show a mix of mortgages, including one on the primary Massachusetts residence and several on rental units, all reported as separate mortgages with different creditors. A spokesperson for Pressley has emphasized that the congresswoman and her husband maintain separate finances and that their joint finances reflect a broader pattern of economic hardship and debt common to many families, including medical and predatory student debt. The records also show a long history of property transactions and evolving ownership structures, underscoring the complexity of wealth in a high-cost coastal region.

In the broader conversation about the Squad’s finances, Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, has been noted for recent shifts in business holdings. Reports show that Mynett’s stake in a California wine venture, eStCru, expanded in 2023 to a value that, at the time of reporting, was listed as between $1 million and $5 million. Rose Lake Capital, a venture-capital firm associated with Mynett, was valued between $5 million and $25 million in the disclosures. Omar’s own reported partnership income from the wine venture is modest, listed as between $5,000 and $15,000, and Omar has said she does not own stocks or other large assets through Rose Lake Capital. She has rejected claims that she is wealthy, noting in social-media posts that her disclosed assets do not reflect a millionaire’s balance sheet and that she has limited outside income.

Meanwhile, press coverage has contrasted these disclosures with the financial profiles of other Squad members. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, has faced questions about the source of wealth tied to her husband’s ventures, while Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly said she does not own a home in the United States or any substantial outside assets and rents in both New York and Washington, D.C. Omar’s husband’s ventures and press commentary have fueled broader debates about wealth, equity and the transparency of lawmakers’ finances. In public remarks and on social media, Omar and her defenders have pushed back against the notion that their personal finances diverge from the values they champion in Congress.

The mix of a long-unsolved criminal case and a high-profile political finances debate illustrates how public interest can span very different spheres of governance and civic life. As investigators pursue new leads in the Barraza case and as the Squad’s financial disclosures continue to be parsed by opponents and watchdogs, observers note that both threads reflect ongoing concerns about accountability, transparency and justice in public life.