February 3, 2025 | By: Grace Donnellan
This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.
Andrew and Walter Vicente had a movie-like dynamic as a father-son duo. They lived and worked together, and Andrew had hopes of taking over his father’s plumbing business. “He had a spark in his eye to help his father,” said Andrew’s mother and Walter’s ex-wife Tina Haas.
However, that dynamic was not always the case. Tina Haas and Walter Vicente were together for 10 years and married for 6 before they got divorced. During their time together, they had two children, Andrew and Stephan. Despite being a single mother with little financial support, Tina raised their children in California and never kept Walter from seeing his children.
When Andrew was 23 years old, after living all around California, he moved into Walter’s house to help his father get back on his feet and help with his plumbing business. “Andrew loved his father, and Walter had a great heart,” Tina said. “In January of 2015, I had offered Andrew to come back and live with me. But he said no, he wanted to go live with his father and help get his life and business together.”
Things were going smoothly. Andrew and Walter were building up their plumbing business, and Walter had the intention of passing it to Andrew when he retired. Everything was falling into place until July 14, 2015, when Andrew and Walter were shot and killed in their home in Norwalk, California.
Tina vividly remembers when she walked into the home at 3 a.m. that fateful night. However, the way the two lived will forever be her most vivid memories.
Walter Vicente was born on January 6, 1966, in Rochester, New York. His father was murdered in the early 2000s. Although he had troubles through his marriage and some of his adult life, he is remembered as having a good heart and a vibrant, lovable personality. Throughout his addiction recovery, Walter made it a point to reconcile his relationships with his children and Tina, and Tina could tell he was dedicated to turning his life around and reconciling his personal relationships – not just with his ex-wife and children, but with his side of the family.
Along his journey to become familiar with his family again, he would visit Tina and share his triumphs. “I remember him coming over one day and showing me a picture of his first grandchild. I saw a spark in his eye when he showed me that photo,” Tina said.
During his last few years of life, Walter was truly dedicated to getting his life together and building his business, and Andrew was a big part in that growth. Andrew was selfless and a “huge giver,” according to Tina.
Andrew Vicente was only 24 years old when he was brutally murdered alongside his father. His mother describes him as someone who had so much life to him. “He was a good kid,” Tina said. “His smile was contagious. When he walked into a room, he lit it right up.”
Growing up, Andrew was motivated by things that made him happy. He was not a fan of school, but when he was in 8th grade, his mother told him if he got a 2.5 GPA, she would get him a dog. He ended up getting a 3.0. His love for things that made him happy included animals, and Andrew got a chameleon a couple months before he died.
The song “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd was the best way to describe Andrew. Tina recalls how he made the chameleon a perfect home out of a trash can, which showed how simple he was. He never yearned or asked for material things; he just wanted to live out his life doing what made him happy. Andrew would always give his mother bear hugs, which she would be annoyed by at the time, but now Tina misses that feeling more than ever.
At Andrew and Walter’s funeral, about 600 people showed up, and there were people waiting outside of the venue to pay their respects. It was heartbreaking for Tina as she recalled the horrendous scene before her on July 14, 2015. Walter and Andrew’s home was released to her seven hours after the murder. “The Norwalk Sheriff’s Department didn’t do a great job at securing the crime scene,” Tina said. “I saw Walter’s face, and the TV was still on. They didn’t really do anything until I got there.”
Tina Haas is the only biological immediate family member surviving Andrew. Her other son, Stephan, tragically passed away in 2019. The five-year anniversary of his passing was on December 1, 2024. Walter is survived by his mother, Irena, brother, James, and sister, Sandy. Since the murder, Tina has shown up to multiple city hall meetings and follow-ups with the Norwalk police department to bring justice to her family and Norwalk. They said they would update her if they heard anything, but she has not heard from them since 2021. She continues to keep Walter and Andrew’s memories alive.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. A $20,000 reward was offered early in the investigation. Contact authorities for confirmation it is still available.
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