Authorities in California say a Riverside mother was fatally shot by her own nephew as she attempted to break up a fight last week.
According to the Sacramento Bee, 39-year-old Beatrice Romo, a mother of five, was at her niece’s baby shower when an altercation broke out between two men.
The incident occurred on the evening of June 30, according to police. Her son, Joshua, recalled seeing his critically injured mother carried away to an area hospital where she later died. Reports indicate she was shot in the stomach.
“I just heard a shot and see my mom fall to the floor,” he said in an interview with KNBC.
He said he attempted to drag his mother to safety before an ambulance arrived. She “was getting so pale” at that point, Joshua Romo said, adding that he “was just telling her I love her.”
Another individual at the scene was also shot. The unidentified man sustained serious injuries during the altercation.
“She just told me she was going to be OK on the gurney going into the ambulance,” Joshua Romo said of his mother’s final moments.
Beatrice Romo’s nephew, 37-year-old Abraham David Bonilla, has since been arrested and is expected to face several criminal charges including murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The victim’s daughter, Daisy Romo, said she “will never forgive” her relative for taking away her mother.
Her grieving husband described her as “the woman men dream of” in an interview.
“My wife was loving, giving, awesome, amazing, beautiful, sexy,” he said.
The family has established an online fundraiser to assist with expenses.
[Featured image: Beatrice Romo, GoFundMe]