[December 25, 2009] Suspect in Whittier killing released Tweet WHITTIER, Dec 25, 2009 (The Whittier Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Police caught a man they believe killed a 19-year-old Whittier woman, but prosecutors are demanding more evidence. Police released 27-year-old Manuel Duron of Garden Grove from the Whittier jail Thursday. They said they arrested Duron on Tuesday on suspicion of killing Crystal Ann Coronel, whose body was found in an apartment on Santa Fe Springs Road on Monday. "We just sent it out for further investigation. It's for additional testing and investigation," said Laura Leisecke, deputy in charge of the District Attorney's Office in Whittier. Duron did not answer two calls to his cell phone. Attempts to find a home phone number were unsuccessful. Officials still have not released a report detailing a possible cause of death for Coronel, but relatives said the young woman was strangled and beaten. Police think she may have been dead for a few days before her body was found, Whittier Lt. Bryan Ellis said. Family members were upset Duron was released. "We just want people to know this shouldn't happen to anybody. And I don't agree with him being released," said Coronel's mother, Roseann Aguilar of Montebello. Coronel met Duron on MySpace, a social-networking Web site, Aguilar said. Coronel once broke up with Duron, but the couple got back together, Aguilar said. Nicholas Robinson, Coronel's neighbor, said some of the residents at the apartments on the 8200 block of Santa Fe Springs Road have developmental disabilities. "She was very outgoing, very happy," Robinson said of Coronel. Robinson said Duron visited Coronel almost every day and stayed at her apartment almost every night. He said Duron seemed like a nice guy. Robinson and Duron even talked of moving in together, Robinson said. Police still consider Duron to be the only suspect, Ellis said. Officers plan to interview more people and process more evidence, he said. Capt. John Kades of the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner said the autopsy on Coronel was completed Thursday afternoon but that results weren't available. Aguilar is trying to raise money for a funeral, scheduled Dec. 31 at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary. Coronel has a twin, Christopher, and three older siblings. "My sister was overcoming her disability. She achieved many things in her life," Christopher Coronel said. [email protected] 562-698-0955, ext. 3026 To see more of the Whittier Daily News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.whittierdailynews.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Whittier Daily News, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]