‘This wasn’t a robbery’: Family of murdered Dallas dentist do not believe she was victim of a heist as police search for answers

• Lisa Sato said she doesn't believe her niece, Kendra Hatcher, 35, was shot and killed during a robbery on Wednesday
• Crystal Cortez, 23, was arrested on Friday and charged with capital murder
• Cortez said she was paid $500 to drive a man to Hatcher's parking garage so he could rob her. She said the same man shot Hatcher   
• Sato said she still needs 'a lot of answers' on what happened Wednesday 

By Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:35 EST, 6 September 2015 | Updated: 12:47 EST, 6 September 2015

The aunt of a popular pediatric dentist who was shot dead as she parked at her luxury apartment building in Dallas has said that she doesn't believe her niece was killed during a robbery.

Lisa Sato spoke out just a day after Crystal Cortez, 23, was arrested and charged with capital murder in the death of 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher, who was fatally shot in a parking garage under her building on Wednesday night.

Cortez told police that she was paid $500 by an unidentified man who asked her to drive him to the parking garage so he could rob Hatcher, according to the arrest warrant.

But Sato, Hatcher's aunt, doesn't believe her niece was killed as part of a heist.

Lisa Sato, the aunt of Kendra Hatcher, a popular Dallas dentist who was shot and killed on Wednesday, said that she doesn't believe her niece was killed during a robbyer

Crystal Cortez (left), 23, was arrested on Friday after she admitted to being involved in the murder of 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher (right), who was shot dead on Wednesday night. Cortez was charged with capital murder

Heartbreaking: Hatcher (above) was a 35-year-old pediatric dentist who her family say enjoyed working with children

Boyfriend? Just days before announcing on Facebook in June that she was in a relationship, Hatcher uploaded a photo of her and this man, who was later identified Ricky Paniagua. He has not been named as a suspect

'I don't believe this was a robbery,' Sato told NBC News on Saturday. 'Robbers don't walk up and shoot somebody first and then grab their stuff.

'That's just not the way robberies happen. There was just no reason for a robber to kill her, to get whatever it was they took.'

Cortez said that the man she drove to the parking garage was also the shooter who killed Hatcher. Police have not released the man's name or said if he is in custody. 

Sato said that Cortez had 'some evil in her', even if the 23-year-old thought she was only taking part in a robbery.

'I need a lot of answers,' Sato said. 'A car accident or something like that, it's different. Or even an illness, it's different. You know somebody did this, and you can't get past that until you know who and why they did it.'

Cortez voluntarily admitted on Friday to being involved in the murder and told detectives that other people may have been involved, police said.

The young woman told detectives that she was behind the wheel of the Jeep Cherokee that had been seen by witnesses and was caught on surveillance tape then night Hatcher was killed, the arrest warrant affidavit said. 

Searching for suspect: Police announced a public search for the driver of the older model Jeep Cherokee (above). Authorities say the driver of the Jeep approached Hatcher when she parked her car in the garage. Crystal Cortez admitted to driving the Jeep

Murder scene: Police say that witnesses heard a single gunshot. The shooter got back into the vehicle and fled the scene, according to police

Safety: Police say they have increased patrols in the area and are reminding everyone to be vigilant about their surroundings

Looking for answers: Dallas Police Department Major Max Geron (above) said that it's unclear why Hatcher was killed and that they are searching for a motive

Surveillance footage led police to Cortez. Someone saw the video still on the news and told detectives that it was their jeep and that they had loaned out for the day, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

Police have not released the identity of the man who Cortez claims she was with or said whether he's in custody. Cortez is being held on a $250,000 bond and the investigation is ongoing.

Hatcher - whose family have described her as a 'a very smart, driven, beautiful and a loved person' - was shot dead as she left her vehicle.

Family members said earlier this week that they didn't believe Hatcher's death was random and that the killer could possibly have been a former boyfriend.

According to her Facebook, Hatcher has been in a relationship since June and has uploaded several pictures with Ricky Paniagua. Paniagua has not been named as a suspect.

Dallas Police Department Major Max Geron said of Wednesday's incident: 'Sometime prior to her arrival, a vehicle of interest described as an older model Jeep Cherokee with damaged or faded paint on the hood and displaying a paper buyer tag, pulled into that garage - following another vehicle through the gate,' Dallas Police Department Major Max Geron told reporters on Thursday. 

'Beautiful': Kendra Hatcher's family describes her as 'a very smart, driven, beautiful and a loved person'. They say she will be buried in her hometown of Springfield, Illinois

Fit: Facebook photos uploaded on to Hatcher's profile show that she appeared to be an avid yogi and seemed to enjoy spending time on the beach

Adventures: Hatcher and Paniagua have several photos together on Facebook, dating back to June of this year, that seem to be located in both San Francisco and Dallas

Having fun: Hatcher and Paniagua, who she appeared to have started dating in June, seemed to laugh and enjoy themselves while taking goofy selfies together

Appreciated: Hatcher seemed to be quite loved at her work, having received a letter from coworkers thanking her for all that she does

 Hatcher parked her car inside of the Gables Park 17 garage when someone got out of the Jeep and approached her.

Witnesses told police that they heard a single gunshot.

Police say the suspect got back into the Jeep and drove out of the parking garage.

Hatcher, who was a University of Kentucky College of Dentistry graduate, was found dead next to her car.

'We believe the occupant or occupants of that vehicle likely have information related to the offense and are asking for the community's help in locating the vehicle and any occupants,' Geron said.

'Detectives continue to follow up searching for additional evidence and are canvassing the local businesses for any leads.

'Additionally we have increased patrols in the area and remind everyone to be vigilant about their surroundings and to report any suspicious behavior to 911.' 

It is unclear why Hatcher was killed and police are searching for a motive. Geron added that the shooting does not appear to be random. 

Suspects: Family members said they believe the killer could have been a former boyfriend. Hatcher is pictured here with Paniagua, who has not been named as a suspect

Lots of laughs: Hatcher and Paniagua took a picture with a selfie stick while riding what appears to be a tandem bicycle

Relationship? In one photo shared on Hatcher's Facebook, she's pictured with Paniagua, along with the quote 'The flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes'

The victim's brother, Neil Hatcher, told KXAS that his sister was one of five children and her murder is 'absolutely unfathomable.'

He added that his sister was a pediatric dentist who 'liked to travel, loved her family and loved working with children.'

Neil Hatcher stated that she had recently visited San Francisco and planned to buy a home in the city.

Sato told The State-Journal Register last week that the family plans to have her buried in her hometown of Springfield, Illinois.

'The detectives called and told us they thought it was her, but we were still holding out hope it wasn't going to be her,' Sato said the Register.

'Since we found out (late Thursday afternoon), it's brought on another wave of shock and sadness.'

A group of co-workers and friends gathered at the parking garage in which Hatcher was killed to hold a memorial on Friday night.

Friends said that Hatcher was full of passion and she had a great kindness toward children.

'If she saw somebody that needed help, she would help them,' friend Rosie Torres told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. 'She would always do that extra.'

Flowers and posters were left outside the parking garage overnight.

Horrific: Hatcher, who was a University of Kentucky College of Dentistry graduate, was found dead of a single gunshot wound next to her car

Saddness: Lisa Sato, the victim's aunt, says that the family is shocked and saddened by her death

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