A California woman was allegedly shot and killed by her boyfriend while trying to leave their relationship, and a neighbor who reportedly tried to intervene was also killed.
The shooting happened around 3:22 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, at an apartment complex in Pomona, California, according to the Pomona Police Department.
Police said officers responded to reports of shots fired and found two victims in the hallway of an apartment building suffering from gunshot wounds.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded and attempted life-saving measures, but both victims died from their injuries.
One of the victims was identified as 24-year-old Veronica Lopez, according to ABC7 and CBS News.
Authorities said Lopez was allegedly shot by her boyfriend, 48-year-old Robert Galtman, after a domestic dispute. Police said Galtman fled the scene after the shooting.
Several hours later, Galtman was taken into custody after a police chase, according to CBS LA. Footage obtained by the outlet appeared to show officers pursuing him on a highway in Castaic before a police vehicle stopped his car using a PIT maneuver.
“At approximately 7:30 pm, the suspect was taken into custody with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol,” Pomona police said. “At this time, there is no known threat to the public.”
Lopez had reportedly been in a relationship with Galtman for about two years. Her family told KTLA 5 that they believed he was abusive and said they had urged her many times to leave him.
“I believe she was walking away, this is why this all happened,” Lopez’s mother, Sheila, told the outlet.
In a heartbreaking twist, Lopez’s family learned she had died while watching news coverage of the police chase, according to ABC7.
“We were watching the chase after it was live and my mom noticed the car and the dog that they rescued,” Lopez’s sister, Klarissa, said. “We called Pomona police and they confirmed it with fingerprints that it was my sister Veronica.”
Lopez’s father told CBS LA that his daughter had once been a professional skater and had so much good in her life.
“She used to be a pro skater, had so many positives going in her life. I don’t know what kind of problems she was going through, but we tried to help her,” he said. “So young, taken out by a coward.”
Klarissa also shared her grief, saying, “I know she didn’t deserve to get murdered … a grown man murdered my sister.”
A GoFundMe created to help cover Lopez’s funeral expenses has raised more than $5,000.
The second victim was identified as Robert Brady, a neighbor and father of two, according to KTLA 5. He is believed to have been shot while trying to intervene in the domestic dispute.
The Pomona Police Department Major Crimes Unit is investigating the shooting.
Galtman remains in custody, with bail set at $3.1 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, June 23, according to ABC7.
The case has devastated Lopez’s family and shaken the community, especially as loved ones say she was trying to walk away from a dangerous relationship when the violence turned deadly.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Calls are free and confidential, and help is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Why would she even be in a relationship with a man twice her age? He obviously wanted to be in prison vs just being alone, cause being in prison for the rest of his life is so much better then a break up.