The family of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly stabbed by her ex-boyfriend have expressed their sadness as they fondly remember the young life taken too soon.
Angelina Gonzalez, a former Azusa High School cheerleader and wrestler, is remembered as a kind, caring, determined and multi-interested person.
“He was really determined, whether it was cooking, art, sports, socializing, family gatherings, whatever,” said her brother Ruben Torres. “Whatever she wanted to happen, she made it happen.”
Love Medina, the victim’s cousin, echoed similar sentiments.
“She had a confidence that was second to none,” Medina said. “And she had a tenacity that was second to none.”
Gonzalez was stabbed to death Friday night in the 300 block of North Soldano Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. First responders found the girl suffering from stab wounds and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The victim’s stepfather, Robert Caraballo, said he noticed the location of the boy’s cell phone at her ex-boyfriend’s house and went looking for her. When they arrived, they were greeted by police tape and officers.
“They wouldn’t let me into the crime scene, so I was trying to explain to them that my daughter was there, and I was trying to get her,” he said.
Instead, law enforcement directed Mr. Caraballo to go to the sheriff’s station.
“Once we got there, they took my wife and asked her some questions. And basically, they told us that she didn’t make it and what she had to do. I told them what happened,” he said.
The killing was a heartbreaking blow to a family still processing a violent crime and grieving a loss.
“We feel devastated,” Torres said. “But we’re trying our best to be as strong as we can, but it hurts. It hurts more than anything in this world.”
Police and Gonzalez’s family did not identify the alleged assailant, but said he was Gonzalez’s 18-year-old ex-girlfriend.
