Family's Double Tragedy: While Mourning Slain Relative, Mom Is Purposely Run Over And Killed
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A young mother who was in a parking lot Thursday evening for a vigil of a murdered family member, was herself killed by a hit-and-run driver.
The woman's family said the driver intentionally ran over the woman and then rolled back over her.
The family is now dealing with two members killed in the same spot in as many days. A male member was shot to death Wednesday.
Trisha Verdugo was run over Thursday about 10:40 p.m. Witnesses said a man in a dark sedan hit Verdugo with his car and then purposely ran over her again.
Her family says the 27-year-old mother was to start a new job at a doctor's office Monday morning.
Verdugo died in the parking lot in her sister's arms, according to her aunt.
"And it's eating me up," says aunt Norma Velasquez, "Why her. This loving girl, this loving mother. Why? Just because she came to pay respects to someone, she loses her life?"
And why was Verdugo run down?
"I was told there was a confrontation [at the vigil]" said her aunt, "but not by her. She was an innocent bystander just there to pay her respects."
The suspects in both murders are still at large, police said.
Authorities also said the man who ran Verdugo over might have had a female passenger.
According to Velasquez, Verdugo's 2-year-old keeps asking "When is mommy coming home from work?"
