closed cases > Sandra Cantu-found (closed case)

The man who found Sandra

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goinsfl:
by Justin Lafferty / TP staff
May 01, 2009

Thousands of volunteers, Tracy police officers and FBI agents searched around the clock earlier this month for Sandra Cantu.

But it was a dairy farmworker just going about his job who led to the discovery of the 8-year-old girl’s body.

Jose Luis Franco, 40, found a suitcase in a dairy lagoon on April 6 containing what was later found to be Sandra’s body and alerted the police. Later this month, the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation will reward him with a little more than $20,000 for his discovery, according to Tracy police spokesman Sgt. Tony Sheneman.

Franco, who speaks only Spanish, said Friday night through translator Laura Flores that the reward is “like a blessing.”

He has worked for Bacchetti & Silva Dairy north of Tracy for 11 years. He plans to put most of the money in a trust fund for the education of his four children, hoping they can go to college.

Franco said the Tracy police and the foundation told him a week ago that he’d earned the reward money, but he hadn’t told anyone but his wife, Margarita Franco, and his children. He said he was waiting until he actually has the check in his hand, adding that the rest of his family and friends will surely be happy for him when he tells them.

“I thought of spending it (at first),” Margarita said jokingly, through the translator. “We’ll pay for our children’s education. It’s going to come in handy.”

Scott Webb, the foundation’s executive director, said Franco will get the money within the next couple of weeks. Webb said the foundation put up $5,000 initially, and the rest of the money came from donations.

“It’s very important that common people come forward and help to share information to solve the case,” Webb said, “so I’m very glad that they took the time to do that.”

Franco said he was nervous when he first found the suitcase, but after police and FBI told him he wasn’t going to be held responsible for anything, he was able to relax.

The Francos moved to Tracy in 1991 from Jalisco, Mexico, where Jose was born. Before he worked for Bacchetti & Silva, he worked for a farm in Mountain House.

While Franco will receive the reward money, a few psychics have come forward recently, saying they felt the money should be theirs.

Sheneman said that the money will go only to Franco.

“We did not review or utilize any tips or information provided to us by psychics,” he said.



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Hollys G-Mom:
Which psychics I wonder.....Geez!

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