A tragic incident unfolded in Oakland, California, where a woman was fatally shot while confronting three individuals she suspected of selling drugs to her children. The victim, identified by Oakland police as 33-year-old Maria Ramos, was visiting from Los Angeles with her eight children at the time of the incident, told People.
The Oakland Police Department responded to a shooting on August 7, where they found Ramos suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite immediate medical attention, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities quickly acted, and within 12 hours, the suspects were apprehended after the patrol team located their vehicle.
“A young lady visiting her family was gunned down by two juveniles and a male adult over some sort of dispute,” Oakland Police Department Deputy Chief Frederick Shavies stated during a press briefing on Friday, August 16.
The confrontation began when Ramos and her mother, Blanca Velasco, observed a car pulling up to their house. Velasco, suspecting that the teenage occupants were selling drugs to a family member, decided to confront them. The two women followed the car, pulling up alongside it as captured in surveillance footage obtained and shared by KTVU.
“Our plan was to tell them to stop coming to our house,” Velasco explained. The video shows Ramos emerging from her vehicle and allegedly using pepper spray on the suspects inside the car. In response, one of the suspects exited the vehicle, chased Ramos, and allegedly shot her. Ramos collapsed on a nearby sidewalk, and Velasco, fearing for her life, drove away after the suspects allegedly pointed a gun at her.
When Velasco returned to the scene, she found her daughter lying bloodied on the ground. Describing the heart-wrenching moment to reporters, Velasco said, “I just saw all the blood coming out and I started rubbing her and told her, ‘Breathe! We still need you. You have eight kids that still need you.’” Authorities arrived shortly after, but it was too late to save Ramos.
Ramos is being remembered as a loving and kind individual. A GoFundMe page set up to cover her funeral expenses and support her children, who range in age from 1 to 16, describes her as someone who “brought immense joy, love, and kindness into the lives of everyone who knew her.”
As of now, the names of the suspects have not been released, and details regarding the charges and plea information remain unclear. The investigation into this tragic event continues.