Cold Case Murder Suspect Arrested; Man Has Santa Clara Co. Ties

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Detectives with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office are sounding the alarm about a recently arrested cold case murder suspect who has Santa Clara County connections.

John Laroche, 62, was arrested near his Turlock home Thursday morning in connection with the slaying of Gloria Hassemer, 41, whose body was found in Watsonville in 1995, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced Friday in a news release. He is facing three felony charges of first-degree murder, battery causing serious bodily injury and violating felony parole, jail records show.

Laroche has ties to Santa Clara County and the Central Valley. The sheriff's office believes there may be more victims and anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 831-454-7635.

Forensic evidence led the sheriff's office to arrest the man, with the help of the Turlock Police Department, the sheriff's office said.

Hassemer was thought to have possibly caught a ride from Santa Cruz to Watsonville on June 10, 1995. She was last seen around 4 a.m. wearing a denim jacket, blue and black shirt, jeans and white tennis shoes, according to the sheriff's office.

Her body was found along the Pajaro River levee, near the Highway 1 overpass that same day.

“This murder shook our community back in 1995, and our detectives have been committed to making an arrest since," said Sheriff Jim Hart in the news release. "We’ve seen the heartbreak it’s brought to Gloria’s loved ones and we are proud to be taking this step towards justice."

Hassemer's children thanked the sheriff's office for its "hard work, dedication, and compassion."

Here's an excerpt from their statement:

"Over the past 25 years [detectives have] never given up; some have even volunteered their time. We are thankful for their commitment to see that our mother's case was reopened and able to bring us closer to justice after the arrest made yesterday. We hope this horrible person will spend the rest of his life in prison so that he will never be able to hurt another beautiful soul. Our family has never given up hope for justice. We've allowed our faith to be stronger than our pain. We thank God that this arrest was made and for all the officers involved yesterday. Again, we thank the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and everyone who played a part in this investigation."