Woman Set on Fire at California Homeless Camp Dies, Family Seeks Justice
Frances Lopez, who suffered severe burns in a July attack, died weeks after returning home, and her family is pleading for the arrest of those responsible.
A California woman who sustained extensive burns after being set on fire at a homeless encampment has died, and her family is seeking justice as the perpetrators remain at large.
Frances Lopez, 33, of Oildale in Kern County, died on Oct. 2, months after an incident on July 11 where she alleged she was doused with gasoline and set ablaze. She had been hospitalized for extensive treatment of second- and third-degree burns covering more than 30% of her body.
Lopez had undergone multiple surgeries and returned home in September to continue her recovery. Her husband, Steven, reported finding her unresponsive when he returned home after a brief absence, leading to the 911 call that confirmed her death.
Her family is mourning the loss of Lopez, a mother of two, and expressing frustration that no arrests have been made in connection with the attack. "She’s my everything… she was… still my everything. Now I’m just… lost without her," Steven Lopez told KBAK 23. Her grandparents, Michael and Claudia Gezzer, appealed for public assistance, with Claudia stating, “Please, please, please help us to find them. They killed her."
Lopez had previously described the July incident, recounting that an argument over money at a friend's tent escalated when an individual retrieved a gas can. According to Lopez, the assailant declared an intent to set them on fire and threw gasoline, igniting the blaze as she attempted to flee. She managed to escape the flames by using the "stop, drop, and roll" method and sought help from a nearby trailer park.
She was airlifted to a burn center in Fresno, where she required resuscitation multiple times during transport and initial care. The burns affected her back, legs, arms, and face. Due to the lack of a specialized burn unit in Bakersfield, Lopez had to make frequent 107-mile trips to Fresno for treatment, with her family providing much of her care.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released a cause of death, and the family has been informed that a full autopsy could take several weeks. Information regarding any arrests in connection with the July attack remains unconfirmed. The California Post has reached out to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for comment.