A 22-year-old pregnant woman, Adriana Jimenez, was left brain dead after being shot in the head on August 23 in Canoga Park, California. Her unborn child also died. Her sister, Maria Fernanda Jimenez, sustained a gunshot wound to the neck and is expected to survive, though she is currently unable to speak.
Jimenez, who was 16 weeks pregnant, and her sister were in a car in an alleyway near their home when the shooting occurred around 8 a.m. A third sister, who was also in the vehicle, was unharmed. The family indicated that the suspect is someone close to them.
Walter Rodriguez Garcia, 30, was arrested last week in connection with the incident. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder. Garcia had a romantic relationship with another occupant of the vehicle who was not injured. A total of five people were in the car at the time of the shooting.
Jimenez, who also leaves behind a six-year-old daughter, fought for her life for nine days before doctors declared her brain dead. The family had been planning to celebrate her birthday on September 11, which was also intended to be a gender reveal for her unborn child.
Her daughter has been asking about her mother's return, according to a relative. The family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and to facilitate the repatriation of Jimenez's remains to El Salvador, their country of origin. The fundraiser aims to support these costs, as well as ensuring the well-being of Jimenez's young daughter during this period of grief.