*** MEDIA ADVISORY***  November 22, 2006Media Contact:  Curtis T. Hill, Jr., 574-296-1888  MURDER CHARGES FILED AGAINST MOTHEROF FOUR DEAD CHILDREN  Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney, Curtis T. Hill, Jr. announced from his office today that Angelica Salazar Alvarez, age 27, of 1200 Hester Street, Elkhart, Indiana, has been formally charged with murder in four counts in connection with the Tuesday, November 14, 2006, deaths of her four children, to wit:  Jennifer Lopez, age 8; Gonzalo Lopez, age 6; Daniel Valdez, age 4; and Jessica Valdez, age 2.  The murder charges were filed this morning in the Elkhart Circuit Court following Mr. Hill’s review of the Elkhart Police Department’s preliminary investigation and report.  The Honorable Terry C. Shewmaker will preside over the case.  Under Indiana law, there is no bond on the charge of murder.             Each murder count carries a potential term of imprisonment from 45 years to 65 years.  In addition, Indiana law provides that the Prosecuting Attorney may seek a death sentence or a sentence of life imprisonment without parole by alleging any one or a combination of sixteen (16) special circumstances as set forth by statute.  Two of the special circumstances set forth under Indiana statutes are whether a defendant committed multiple murders and whether the victim of the murder was less than 12 years of age.  “Over the course of the next several weeks or longer if necessary, as this investigation continues and as I gather additional information, I will consider seeking a sentence of death against Angelica Salazar Alvarez.”             A charging determination was made by Hill following his review of the preliminary investigation which commenced on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, upon the Elkhart Police Department’s notification that Fernando Valdez, age 37, of 1200 Hester Street, Elkhart, Indiana, had arrived home from work to discover his “wife” and children dead in the basement of his home.  Elkhart police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene and were able to determine that one of the individuals, namely Angelica Salazar Alvarez, was in fact alive, and they removed her from the scene where she was transported to Elkhart General Hospital.  The four children, however, were confirmed dead at the scene.   The autopsies on the children were performed and the preliminary report from the forensic pathologist indicates that the cause of death for Jennifer, Gonzalo, Daniel and Jessica was asphyxia and that the manner of death was homicide.  The preliminary indication is that the children suffered from strangulation.  It is anticipated that an initial hearing will be held for Angelica Salazar Alvarez on Thursday, November 30, 2006 at the Elkhart Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m.  The investigation is ongoing.                       Â“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”