PHOENIX – The family of Suzanne Delgado, a 26-year-old mother of two, has initiated a legal battle by filing a $15 million notice of claim against the city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department.
The family alleges detectives prematurely closed the investigation into her death as an overdose and overlooked evidence of foul play.
What we know:
Delgado was found dead at a house near [Insert Location Here] on March 10. While police ruled the death an overdose, the family believes a man from her past may have killed her and demanded a full investigation.
Police acknowledged they had been to the house before for drug-related calls.
The family’s attorney, Cash Fazal, said the police investigation was biased from the outset and cited several issues, including alleged racial bias, neglect, and lack of proper training.
“There were contusions and bruises found on her body that were consistent with self-defense,” Fazal said. He noted that police appeared to decide the cause of death early on.
“There was a bias in the investigation from the outset when officers arrived. It was already painted as a potential overdose, and that was strange because autopsy was not conducted at that point,” he said.
Delgado’s mother, Sylvia Delgado, spoke about the pain of telling her grandsons. “It was the hardest thing to tell them the next day that ‘your mommy wasn’t coming back,'” she said.
The family is seeking the $15 million in damages but insists their primary goal is to set the record straight for Suzanne and her legacy.
“None of us are perfect. She wasn’t perfect, but she was a human being. She was a person. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, someone who was loved by the community,” said her sister, Vanessa Vasquez.
A makeshift shrine has been set up outside the Delgado home.
What’s next:
The city has 60 days to respond to the notice of claim, which was issued last month. The Phoenix Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
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