A California mother of eight was tragically shot and killed, allegedly while confronting a group she believed had sold marijuana vape pens to her child, local news reports.
Maria Guadalupe Ramos Velasco, 33, from Los Angeles, was shot earlier this month near the intersection of Hilton Street and Bancroft Avenue in Oakland around 2:20 p.m. on Aug. 7, according to FOX 2 Oakland.
Earlier that day, Ramos and her mother, Blanca Velasco, spotted a Toyota parked near their home and suspected the occupants were selling marijuana vape pens to one of Ramos’ children. The two decided to approach the vehicle and demand they “stop coming” to the house, Blanca Velasco told KTVU.
Ramos and Velasco were in Velasco’s Toyota RAV4 at the time of the incident. Ramos reportedly stepped out to confront the suspects in their vehicle. According to KTVU, which cited recently obtained video footage, a witness, and a source close to the investigation, Ramos allegedly sprayed pepper spray into the back of the suspects’ vehicle.
UPDATE: Surveillance video obtained by @KTVU shows teenager fatally shooting Maria Ramos, 33, mother of 8, after she pepper-sprayed carload of teens she believed sold marijuana vape pens to some of her kids. Alleged shooter, accessory busted by @oaklandpoliceca 5,6 p.m. @KTVU pic.twitter.com/tDtS2V9Zkf
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) August 15, 2024
At that moment, a 16-year-old suspect, whose name remains undisclosed due to his age, allegedly shot Ramos, fatally wounding her. After the teen pointed the gun at Velasco, she quickly drove off, but later returned to find her daughter lying on the ground.
Prosecutors have charged Isaiah Gomez, 19, the alleged driver, with being an accessory to the crime.
“I started rubbing her chest and telling her, ‘Breathe, Lupita, breathe! Like, we still need you. You have eight kids.’ And she tried,” Velasco shared with the outlet.
Ramos had struggled with her own drug addiction in the past, her mother revealed. She leaves behind seven daughters, aged 1 to 16, and a 7-year-old son.
“We need to change the way we live around here,” Ramos’ aunt, Maria Del Carmen Beltran, told KTVU. “We don’t have to be killers, you know?”
“She brought immense joy, love, and kindness into the lives of everyone who knew her,” Beltran wrote in the GoFundMe page description for Ramos. “As we navigate this profound loss, we are coming together to honor Guadalupe’s memory and provide her with the farewell she truly deserves.”
The GoFundMe, titled “María Guadalupe Ramos Velasco family,” states that donations “will go directly toward helping her kids and easing the financial burden on the Ramos family.”
