Angelica Salazar Alvarez was born on September 19, 1979. She grew up in Mexico but later moved to the United States. Details about her early life and upbringing are limited. She was known to have faced many challenges in her life.

At some point, Angelica moved to Elkhart County, Indiana. There, she built a life for herself and started a family. Angelica became a mother to four children: Jennifer Lopez, Gonzalo Lopez, Daniel Valdez, and Jessica Valdez. Her children were aged 8, 6, 4, and 2, respectively.

Reports indicated that she struggled with mental health issues. She had also recently lost her job and was under a great deal of stress. This overwhelming pressure contributed to her struggles as she cared for her young children. Angelica's husband, Fernando Valdez, was present in her life but they faced problems. There were indications that they were having marital issues. The challenges she faced as a mother, wife, and individual seemed to weigh heavily on her.

On November 14, 2006, Angelica Salazar Alvarez killed her four young children in their home in Elkhart County, Indiana. The children were Jennifer Lopez, aged 8, Gonzalo Lopez, aged 6, Daniel Valdez, aged 4, and Jessica Valdez, aged 2. Alvarez took the children to the basement while they were sleeping. She gave them sleeping pills before she began to strangle them.

First, she killed Daniel Valdez. Afterward, she strangled his sister, Jessica. Next, she turned to Gonzalo Lopez and killed him in the same manner. Finally, she strangled Jennifer Lopez. After the killings, Alvarez attempted to take her own life. She used an electrical cord to try to hang herself, but it did not work. Instead, she swallowed several sleeping pills.

When her husband, Fernando Valdez, returned home, he found the children dead in the basement and Alvarez unconscious. Emergency services were called, and Alvarez was transported to the hospital. It was there that she was later arrested for the murders of her children.

The authorities discovered a note written by Alvarez on her computer, which explained her actions. In the note, she mentioned her struggles and feelings of being overwhelmed, especially about caring for her children alone as her husband was leaving her.

Angelica Alvarez was charged with four counts of murder shortly after the incident. Investigators ruled the deaths as homicides due to asphyxiation, confirming that the children had been strangled. On September 4, 2007, she pleaded guilty to all charges, accepting responsibility for her actions. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on September 23, 2007.