Cold-Case Revival: Caramel Bay Death May Be More Than Just Gang-Related.

Callie Codwell's Cold Case Blog | September 14, 2020

Caramel Bay, once known for its bustling tech-scene and forward-thinking charm, is facing a dark new chapter, as a series of gang-related killings grips our city. The latest victim? Cecilia Greene-Vega.

Caramel Bay P.D. has described the case as open and shut. This was a drug deal gone wrong, or perhaps a result of some grizzly turf war. The exact story has remained fuzzy, and for most netizens of our bustling metropolis, this explanation was enough. 

I couldn’t blame them for accepting such a vague story— there has been a 41% increase in violent crimes since this time last year, 76% of which were considered to be gang-related. It seems like just another tragic but unsurprising incident.

And I’ll even admit, I accepted the official story when I first caught wind of it—just a small blurb in Caramel Bay News. I didn’t think much of it... until a SweetRelief link landed in my DMs a few weeks ago.

"Help Maria Raise $2,500 to Hire A Private Investigator."

A friend from high school sent it my way, knowing I have a penchant for true crime. She said the SweetRelief description could be a lead for a new story, and when I opened the page to see the image of a young woman with a radiant smile accompanied the plea for justice— I knew she was right.

Cecilia, just 21 years old, was found dead late Thursday night in her small apartment. There were no signs of forced entry. Her mother, Maria Vega, set up a SweetRelief fund because she felt the CBPD didn’t provide enough answers for her young daughter’s homicide. 

“Cece was such a bright light to everyone she knew. She was valedictorian at CB Central!” Maria beamed with pride as she showed me one of Cecilia’s math competition trophies. “There’s no way my baby was involved in all that gang nonsense. She was too smart for all that.”

After visiting Cecilia’s childhood home, it was hard not to believe her. Cece was the definition of a standout student—a math prodigy, no less. Looking at all those trophies, framed certificates, and photos decorating her mom’s living room, I began to ask myself: how does a bright, accomplished young woman like Cecilia get caught up in Caramel Bay’s dark underworld?

Was there more to this story?

The CBPD might have already stamped “case closed” on the case, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to uncover. So I made it my mission to dig.

Cecilia’s older sister, Blanca, gave me a glimpse into her life post-high school, shedding light on the years leading up to the tragedy. I met up with her during one of her lunch breaks at her mother’s small bodega.

“Cece was goody-goody in school, but she got mixed up with that Korean dude. He was fine as hell, but he was trouble,” Blanca said, taking a long pull from her cigarette.

The guy she’s referring to? Jason “Jay” Choi. 

Choi, along with his partner-in-crime, Trey “Triggs” Clemmens, have been on law enforcement's radar for years. Their names are attached to everything from drug trafficking to the recent murder of Los Reales gang leader John “Cash” Montana.

Blanca might’ve glossed over her sister’s involvement, but Cecelia’s defunct PopMe profile tells a different story—she was in a years-long relationship with Choi. A far cry from the straight-laced valedictorian her family remembered.

“Blanca and Maria loved Cee, but I don’t think they ever really knew her. They barely talked to her after we graduated,” Cecelia’s best friend, Rosanna Thu, told me during a PopMe video call. “I was the only one who knew what she was up to, but the cops never even asked me anything. They closed the investigation after like, a day.”

Rosanna’s right—Cece’s quiet, bookish persona seemed to render her invisible, not just to her family, but to the police as well. 

But if you connect the dots, it’s clear: Cece was far more complex than people thought. And it seems Jason Choi was her introduction to a life beyond academics.

Choi and Clemmens started their criminal path back at Cece’s higschool, CB Central—petty theft, assault, drug dealing. They were never officially tied to any gangs, but they ran their own operation, hovering just outside of the gang wars... until recently.

“Her and Jay? Yeah, those two were annoying as hell. Cute, but annoying. He treated her like a spoiled princess,” Rosanna laughed, as she shared old photos. “I was happy for her, ‘cause they seemed like they were gonna get married and do the whole family and kids thing, once he settled down with all that drug stuff.”

Her PopMe feed certainly backs up the picture-perfect image of their relationship. With captions like “They will never keep us apart, Papi. Love you to the moon and the stars and back” it’s clear Cece was devoted.

But things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows.

“Then things got messy. She started picking fights with him for no reason. At first, I thought it was because he was cheating, but when I saw her lashing out, I knew he didn’t really do anything wrong.” Rosanna said.

Was the demise of their relationship a natural parting due to the great difference in their backgrounds? Could a goodie-two-shoes brainiac really last long with a hardened criminal high school-dropout?

“I honestly don’t know. She wasn’t all good when she was with him… She was helping them with some parts of their whole little operation. I don’t know what exactly, but they started making real money when Cee got involved,” Rosanna added.

The police report doesn’t give us much to go on, but it does drop an interesting detail: just before the time of her death, Cece was reportedly dating the late John “Cash” Montana, the Los Reales gang leader. She was seen at his funeral just a few days before.

So, what does this mean? Was she double-dipping between Choi and Montana? Could her connection to these rival players have sealed her fate?

Choi had already been linked to Montana’s murder just a week before Cece’s death. It’s tempting to point the finger at him, but the police report claims he was caught on CCTV at a Nevada gas station, hundreds of miles away, on the night of her murder. He hasn’t been seen since, so it’s likely he was on the run.

But here’s where it gets tricky: Choi was caught on camera, but his right-hand man, Trey Clemmens, wasn’t. While Jay fled town, Trey stuck around, getting involved in a high-speed boat chase through Caramel Bay the day after Cece’s body was discovered.

He wasn’t seen again after that.

So, why the delay? If Choi had already skipped town, why did Trey linger? Was he tying up loose ends?

Was Cece involved with Trey too? The lack of forced entry to her apartment suggests she knew her attacker…

“Maybe? She started messing with Cash and she wouldn’t tell me as much. I know Triggs never trusted her, but maybe they started messing with each other… I have no idea.” Rosanna shrugs with a pensive gaze. "She kinda shut everyone out after Cash, and I know Triggs and Jay hated that dude. But maybe Cee and Triggs reconciled. Who knows?"

The motive may not be abundantly clear, but Clemmens' delayed departure may be too convenient to be a coincidence. And yet, the police didn’t even bother investigating this angle. Clemmens and Choi haven’t been investigated at all as suspects in the messy love triangle (potentially love-square!)

If you ask me, this wasn’t just a gang-related killing. It was personal. Cecilia Greene-Vega’s case deserves to be reopened because justice hasn’t been served yet.

If you’d like to contribute to Cecelia’s SweetRelief fund, you can do so at the link here.