SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — A woman whose body was found dumped near San Jose was identified by family members on Tuesday. The mother of five, 35-year-old Jami Narvaez, was found dead on October 9, her family said. Narvaez’s grieving children are ages 16, 12, 11, eight, and six.
“It’s been a rough loss as she leaves behind 5 children. These children will go on wondering why such a horrible thing like this happened,” the victim’s sister wrote on a GoFundMe page. “My sister was very loved by many people, she had a big heart. She put others first.”
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office classified the case as a homicide investigation.
Narvaez’s family, who lives in Modesto, told KRON4 that she left Modesto in July to go visit friends in San Jose. She was last heard from on September 10, when she called home to talk to her son on his birthday.
In the wake of losing his mother, Narvaez’s 16-year-old son has been too distraught to go to school, family members told KRON4.
Narvaez’s sister, Roberta Correa, urged the killer to come forward and surrender on Tuesday. “We just want answers. Why, why would somebody take this person’s life? My sister had a family,” Correa told KRON4.
Investigators remained silent about the homicide case until Monday, when the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release stating that a body had been found.
Deputies were dispatched on October 9 to the 2200 block of Mount Pleasant Road in unincorporated San Jose after the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a “female found unresponsive near the roadway,” SCCSO stated. The woman was declared deceased and homicide detectives were called to the scene.
The area is dotted with residential homes on the outskirts of East San Jose. Narvaez’s cause of death was injuries from multiple gunshot wounds.
The Sheriff’s Office did not say if its investigators have identified any suspects. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to call its investigators at 408-808-4500. To make an anonymous tip, you can call Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services at 408-808-4431.
Narvaez’s mother, Doreen, said she hopes that the “monster who did this to my daughter” is caught by law enforcement. “She didn’t deserve this,” Doreen said as tears streamed down her face.
Shortly before she was killed, Narvaez had been staying with various friends around San Jose. Correa said she is receiving phone calls “left and right” from friends who want to help and provide information. “They are all in shock too,” Correa said.
Correa said she’s trying her best to stay strong for her sister’s five children. A funeral for Narvaez will be held in San Jose this weekend. The GoFundMe page is raising money to support the children and cover their mother’s funeral expenses.
