Let Justice be done.

it is a tragic end, and i cannot help but think that all this could have (somehow) been prevented-
she had another child when she was 16 or 17, and was (again) pregnant out of wedlock-and pregnant by someone she knew who was living with HIS pregnant girlfriend-making bad choices is no excuse for her murder, but her (latoyia) life is gone, her seven year-old daughter, her fetus, his life is over, his girlfriend, and the child he fathered with her-it just goes on and on...that's six lives with one single act, not to mention the lives of families of all these people.
it is a plague on a segment of society, and these same people want to complain about not getting 'national media attention', when this happens-
just misplaced priorities, look at yourselves and see how this might have been avoided-why didn't latoyia have values instilled in her that might have prevented this from happening??? her own mother was mudered, and that was never solved. while doing what she could to make a life for herself and her daughter, she made choices that led to her murder by an animal.
i hope poaches burns in hell, but that does not excuse the fact that these bad decisions affected so many lives ultimatly. please start today making good decisions about your relations with others, especially when it can affect others.
i am truly sorry for the losses latoyia's family has suffered, and hope that they can break whatever cycle their family seems to be in that leads to tragic results.

Mike, Your comment sucked. First spell check what you write before posting it. Second of all, the choices that she made in life had nothing to do with her murder. A person can walk down the street and get shot. Did that person make a bad choice to lead up to their death? NO!!

The fact remains that a young lady and her unborn child lost their lives over a punk not wanting to take responsibility for his own actions. Regardless, if he had a live in girlfriend. He laid down and made a child with another woman and then decided to take matters in his own hands and kill his unborn child and the child's mother and thought he would get away with it.
A 7 year old little girl is motherless and his newborn child is fatherless because of HIS actions and the decision that HE CHOSE to make.
My heart goes out to both families. My deepest sympathy to the Figeuroa family.

So, according to Mike, Ms. Figeroa was murdered because black and Hispanic people have "no values." It wouldn't even cross his mind to say the same thing about Laci Peterson or the millions of other white women who are domestic abuse victims each year. Some people can be racist about anything.

There is no way this is Latoyia's fault, although we as women DO have to be very careful who we choose as a mate. I personally do not understand what this Poaches was thinking when he decided to take this girl's life. I mean what kind of person is he to even think he would get away with this act? Stupid him, anytime you involve someone else in your mess you are opening windows for disaster. He thought this man would not turn him in KNOWING there was a reward? But no matter he did not have the right to take her life no matter what the case was. If he did not want to be involved--his choice, pay his child support and be done with it. Now the 7 year old has to suffer, his OTHER child, and baby mother, along with both families. Another Rae Carruth gone bad. Sad, sad, sad.

Speaking as a spanish woman...I am deeply offended by "Mike's" comments. You are a BIGOT who needs to go back to Red Neck hicksville and screw your cousin. Asshole.

I went to West Philadelphia High School and graduated with Latoyia in 1998, I have a vague memory of her, but my best friend was in a 4 or 5 year relationship with Steven or as we called him Poaches (pronounced Poshe'). My best friend was not the girl that he was currently with or the person he had the baby with, but he took care of and practically raised her 6 year old son. Her son has Steven's name for his middle name. He used to tell me that he was the father of my son also. My best friend used to live with him and his mother. His mother is a wonderful woman. I'm sure she is thinking this all is just a nightmare. Poaches was very silly and funny. I could never see him doing anything like this. He was a very loving, sensitive young man. I don't understand what would make him kill him her. Because she was pregnant with his child just seems insane. This case has been on my mind night and day. I feel so much pain and sympythy for Latoyia, Nyla her unborn daughter, her 7 year old daughter, her family and friends and Steven's mother and family. Although Mike was being racist, he did have a point about us young woman as a whole, not valueing ourselves enough. And of course her decision to be involved with Steven was not the reason that she was killed. But we need to start loving ourselves enough to know that we are to good to get into a steady relationship with a man that we know lives with someone else, or is envolved with anyone else. Now that Latoyia's body and murderer have been found she and her unborn daughter Nyla can rest in peace.