'The dark will come to light': Family of murdered Emilio Valdez hopeful after arrests

FOX 2 - The family of Emilio Valdez has been waiting a long time for today - when someone would be held responsible for his murder.
 
His sister Melissa Fielder said she never lost faith that it would happen - and spoke about what her beloved brother was like.

"He always wanted to do better than he did yesterday.  He was that type of person, he had a great mentality. He was the light in the room," she said. "I literally can't say anything bad about him."

Emilio was one of eight siblings. He died under tragic circumstances on June 7th, 2018.

"It's going on four years and they remembered him," she said.

Four years since the body of 20-year-old Emilio Valdez was found shot twice and left in Osmun Lake in Pontiac.  
 
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office has named three suspects, acquaintances of Valdez.

"We all make mistakes," Fielder said. "His was trusting people who he thought were his friends."

Those "friends" are set to be charged in connection with his death.

"I don't care how dark the world is, there is always a light," Fielder said. "Everything that happens in the dark will come to light."

Angel Alvarez, his brother Juan Hernandez, and their mother Guadalupe Davila-Rodriguez, were all arrested Friday.

Alvarez will be charged with murder, his mom and brother set to be charged with accessory after the fact.

"It is a little weight lifted," she said. "It also brings anxiety of what is to come next."

Related: Pontiac family members arrested in 2018 murder of man dumped in Oakland County lake

The Valdez family knows it will be hard to hear the details of how Emilio died, so in the meantime will continue to focus on the light that he brought into his life.

"Nobody has the right to take your life away from you. no matter what," she said.

Detectives say, Alvarez, the man accused of murder, was questioned at the time of crime - but told them he had no idea what happened.

Four years later, however, investigators say they have evidence to prove otherwise.

Emilio Valdez, inset: Suspects Angel Alvarez, his brother Juan Hernandez, and their mother Guadalupe Davila-Rodriguez