The community is going to support the family of Julie Ann Gonzalez

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The community of Central Texas on Saturday showed their love and support for a local family going through tragedy after tragedy.

Jack’s Road House in San Marcos hosted a charity event in honor of Sandra Soto after her home in Dripping Springs burned down last week. She and her family were able to get out safely after being woken up by their dog. However, the house was destroyed and they lost everything.

The fire comes as Soto continues to search for answers to questions about the loss of his daughter. 13 years ago, 21-year-old Julie Ann Gonzalez disappeared from a Walgreens in South Austin. Her ex-husband was found guilty of her murder, but her body was never found.

But at Saturday’s charity event, which included a homemade BBQ and live music, the family was encouraged by the support they’ve received from complete strangers as they navigate this latest setback.

“We’ve been through a lot, and at first, when I got the news, I thought it was another thing that was thrown at us,” Soto’s daughter Samantha Petrie said. “Today it really shows that not only the love and support from our family and our friends, but people who know the story of my sister Julie Ann Gonzalez, that they don’t forget about our family, they don’t forget about her story. .

What happened to Julie Ann Gonzalez?

Julie Ann Gonzalez, 21, was last seen in March 2010. Her car was found abandoned at a Walgreens near the intersection of South 1st and Stassney Lane where she worked.

Investigators say Gonzalez’s ex-husband George De La Cruz was allegedly the last person to see her alive.

De La Cruz told investigators that Gonzalez asked him to babysit their daughter for a few more days and then left town with a new lover.

It was a story that neither the Gonzalez family nor the jury bought. In 2015, De La Cruz went on trial for the murder of his ex-wife.

During the trial, prosecutors produced evidence linking De La Cruz to the case.

They reportedly couldn’t ignore tracking data from cell towers that placed Gonzalez’s missing phone near places De La Cruz frequented. De La Cruz also reportedly went shopping with her debit card.

De La Cruz was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Gonzalez’s body was never found.