Canoga Park shooting suspect faces murder charges in death of woman and her unborn child
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.
Set us as preferred A man accused of shooting a pregnant mother and her sister while they sat in their car outside their Canoga Park apartment is now facing murder charges, according to prosecutors.The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Wednesday that it had amended its felony complaint against Walter Francisco Rodriguez Garcia, 32, of Gardena and charged him with the murder of 22-year-old Adriana Jimenez and her unborn child.Jimenez, who was 16 weeks pregnant and also the mother of a 6-year-old girl, was left brain dead by the Aug.23 shooting.
Her family, which is continuing to raise money on GoFundMe for funeral and medical costs, said she was taken off life support Friday.Her older sister, 24-year-old Maria Fernanda Jimenez, was shot in the throat and shoulder.
She is expected to survive.Shortly after the shooting, Garcia was arrested and charged with three counts of attempted murder, with special allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, according to the criminal complaint.Garcia, who pleaded not guilty on those charges, has not responded to the new charges, according to court records.In a phone interview, Leonardo Ayala, the uncle of the two women, said that he was happy to hear about the criminal charges and that they were needed to bring justice for his niece.The shooting occurred in the 8300 block of Northgate Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.Police said the sisters were sitting inside a black Toyota Camry, parked in an alley outside their apartment, when a gunman walked up and opened fire.On that day, Ayala said, his nieces had finished working as cooks at a Thai restaurant around 2 a.m.and decided to go out with two cousins.
Adriana Jimenez’s boyfriend, who was the father of the unborn baby, was also with the group.He said Jimenez was drivin...