“I’m overwhelmed, I can’t be more grateful,” said Ruben Torres – the brother of Angelina Gonzales, a 17-year-old who was stabbed to death just before Christmas – during a massive fundraiser this weekend. “I feel the love.”
KNX News’ Nataly Tavidian was at the fundraiser Saturday, where she spoke to Torres. She said hundreds of people turned out to remember the Azusa, Calif., teen.
Torres described Gonzalez as “full of joy, full of life,” and “very inspirational, inclusive.”
According to the Azusa Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detectives responded to a stabbing death on the 300 block of North Soldano Ave in Azusa on Dec. 20. Azusa police received an assault with a deadly weapon call at around 10 p.m. that evening.
When law enforcement arrived at the property, they found a female victim suffering from stab wounds. She was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
In a Dec. 24 press release, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said that Daniel Rodriguez, 18, was charged with murdering Gonzales. His arraignment was continued to Jan. 8 in Department N of the Pomona Courthouse and his court set bail at more than $2 million. If found guilty, Rodriguez faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison plus one year determinate.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to Angelina Gonzales’s loved ones as they navigate this senseless act of violence and unimaginable grief, especially during this holiday season,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman stated. “Our office’s Family Violence Division will work to bring the offender to justice for the victim and her family.”
In Azusa Saturday, the community gathered to provide Gonzales’ family with help to cover her memorial expense at the car wash fundraiser. Those in attendance at the VFW parking lot included members of her cheerleading squad and a local biker club.