A devastated family from Southern California is coming forward after the tragic shooting of their daughter and sister in a Pomona apartment. It wasn’t until I saw a police chase on TV that I grasped the reality of it.
Veronica Lopez, just 24 years old, was shot on Thursday afternoon. Allegedly, her boyfriend is responsible for both her death and that of another victim, and after the incident, he fled, resulting in a chase that ended with his arrest.
Her family is now left with questions, searching for answers. “Why? Why did he kill my baby? Why did he kill her?” her mother, Sheila Lopez, expressed.
Police responded to reports of gunfire near Monterey and Gary streets around 3:30 p.m., discovering a man and woman dead from gunshot wounds in the complex.
Family members have identified Veronica as the female victim. She lived in San Diego and had been dating Robert Goldman for about two years, even though her relatives had raised concerns about that relationship.
Her loved ones remember her as a talented young woman whose life was cut short way too soon.
“She was our fifth daughter, so beautiful, so young, so talented,” her father, Coby Lopez, said. “She had a former career as a pro skater and seemed to have everything going for her. We aren’t sure what issues she was facing but we did our best to support her… She was just so young, and taken away by cowards.”
Family members shared how Lopez had a radiant smile and brought warmth to those around her.
Her sister, Clarissa Lopez, noted that they realized something was amiss when they were watching the police chase unfold live. “My mom spotted the car they had rescued a dog from and called Pomona police, which confirmed it was Veronica,” she said. “She was such a wonderful daughter—active, happy, a real go-getter.”
Outside the apartment building where the tragic event took place, family and friends have gathered, lighting candles and laying down balloons to honor the life of the daughter, sister, and friend who was loved by so many.
After the shooting, Goldman escaped in a black Kia, sparking a manhunt across the county. Authorities used an automated license plate reader to locate the car on the northbound 5 Freeway in Sylmar. The chase lasted about 90 minutes until officers executed a pit maneuver to stop him.
Goldman is now in custody with a bail set at $3.1 million and is expected to appear in court in Pomona on Tuesday.
As preparations for Lopez’s funeral are underway, her family has launched a campaign to raise funds to cover the expenses and to honor her memory.
In heartfelt tributes shared in the aftermath of her passing, her loved ones encapsulated their sorrow with a touching message: “Forever 24. Forever loved. Forever missed.”
