Moreno Valley

Family Asks for Help Finding Father's Killer

The family of a father who was shot and killed outside a San Bernardino bar pleaded for witnesses to come forward Tuesday to help catch his killer.

Relatives of 35-year-old Adrian Cardona want justice for his four children, who also lost their mother last week, leaving them orphaned.

Cardona's loved ones say the Redlands man had been making plans to care for his four children after they lost their mother - his ex-girlfriend, Analisa Santana - in an ice cave collapse in Washington.

Cardona had been calling them every day while they were being cared for by relatives in Washington.

"He was very concerned about their well-being and making sure they were OK mentally and emotionally, doing what he could to make sure they knew he was there for them as much as he could be at the moment," said Gloria Allen, Cardona's cousin.

But Cardona never got the chance to see his children again. He was shot and killed outside a bar in San Bernardino on Sunday night.

"He's their father. His plan was to be there for them and take care of his kids," said Cardona's brother, Carlos Cardona.

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Surveillance video from Lulu's Hideout shows Cardona sitting at the bar shortly before the shooting. Investigators said he had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend and left the bar, but returned to the parking lot a short time later, where he was killed.

Investigators have yet to publicly identify a shooter. Cardona's family wants the killer to know that the children are now orphans.

"(Cardona) was deeply loved, a big part of our family. And his children's family, they loved him, lived with him and he took care of them," Allen said.

Cardona and Santana, who is from Moreno Valley, had split up more than a year ago. She was visiting the ice caves in Washington on summer vacation with the children who range in age from 1 to 14. They all survived the collapse - but her brother, David Santa, had to be pulled from the ice and rushed to the hospital, where he's in critical condition.

Santana's fiancé, Dustin Wilson, suffered a leg injury.

The children are still in Washington being taken care of by Santana's family. A fund has been set up to help them. Anyone wishing to donate can do so here.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family of Anna Santana: http://www.gofundme.com/yzsf4s.

A GoFundMe account has also been set up by the family of Adrian Cardona: http://www.gofundme.com/zbfvv4c.

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