Pregnant California mother declared brain dead after fatal car shooting
A 22-year-old pregnant woman was pronounced brain dead and removed from life support after a gunman opened fire on her car in Canoga Park.
On August 23, Adriana Jimenez, a 22-year-old who was 16 weeks pregnant and caring for a six-year-old daughter, was shot in the head while she and her sister Maria Fernanda Jimenez sat in their car outside their apartment in Canoga Park, California. The attack left Adriana brain dead; she was later taken off life support and her unborn baby also died. Maria Fernanda survived a neck injury and is recovering.
The suspect, Walter Francisco Rodriguez Garcia of Gardena, known to the family as an ex-boyfriend of a cousin, was arrested and charged with three counts of attempted murder, later pleading not guilty. He has a prior record of battery and vandalism. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to cover funeral and repatriation costs for Adriana, who was a native of El Salvador. The LAPD continues to investigate the motive behind the shooting.
Why it matters
The case highlights a tragic domestic-related shooting that resulted in the loss of a pregnant mother and her unborn child.
In this story
