!CRIMETIME! 

The Christmas Massacre: A Christmas with Merry Murders

“I heard the shots. Everyone started panicking and running, and we all dove under the dining room table.” - Leticia Ortega

To celebrate Christmas Eve, Alica and Joseph Ortega held a family dinner for their children, grandchildren, cousins, sisters, brothers and other extended family. However, little did they know that their 2008 party would make the front page of the newspaper. 

At around 11:30 pm, and the family festivities slowed down, there was a knock at the door. Eight-year-old Katrina Yuzefpolsky opened the door to her uncle Bruce Pardo, who was dressed up as Santa Claus. It was understandable that she was excited — but her squeals were cut short when she was shot in the face.

Pardo brought a homemade flamethrower on a trolley and 9mm-semi automatic handguns. Shortly after shooting his niece he charged into the home and continued to shoot at cousins, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and the other children. 

Want to know what happened next? Read here