An arrest has been made in connection with the death of Adriana Jiménez, a 22-year-old pregnant woman who was shot in the head in Canoga Park on August 23. Jiménez died after fighting for her life in a hospital for nine days.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the shooting occurred at approximately 7:49 a.m. in an alleyway in the 8300 block of Northgate Avenue. Jiménez was the driver of a car that held five people when a man approached the vehicle and opened fire.
Police arrested 30-year-old Walter Rodriguez Garcia last week in connection with the shooting. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has charged Garcia with three counts of attempted murder.
Detectives have not yet publicly confirmed a motive. Garcia reportedly had a dating relationship with one of the other occupants of the car, though that person was not shot. Investigators are still working to determine what triggered the incident.
Jiménez's cousin, who was also in the car, was seriously injured. The relative, who asked not to be identified, said the second victim was shot in the throat, with the bullet passing all the way through. The injury left her temporarily unable to speak, but she is now out of danger.
Jiménez was 16 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting. Her family confirmed that both she and the unborn child have died.
"It's hard to hear her daughter ask, 'When is Mommy coming back? I want Mommy with me,'" the relative said. "There were five people in the car when someone approached them and... well, ended the life of the person who was driving and wounded another person."
The family is now asking the community for support. They have set up a fund to help with expenses and are requesting donations that can be used locally in the United States or sent to El Salvador, where Jiménez was originally from.