Pregnant LA Woman, 22, Left Brain-Dead After Suspect 'Close To The Family' Allegedly Shoots Her

A pregnant woman from Los Angeles has been declared brain-dead after being shot in the head in Canoga Park, according to her family.

Adriana Jimenez Duarte, 22, was among five people sitting in a parked car in an alley in the 8300 block of Northgate Avenue when a man approached the vehicle and opened fire at about 7:49 am on 23 August, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Duarte's 26-year-old sister, Maria Fernanda Jimenez, was also wounded in the attack. Police arrested 30-year-old Walter Rodriguez Garcia in connection with the shooting, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has charged him with three counts of attempted murder.

Family members said Duarte remained in hospital for nine days after the shooting. They said doctors later told them there was nothing more they could do to save her.

Earlier family accounts said that Duarte and her unborn baby had died. A later account from her uncle described Duarte more specifically as having been declared brain-dead.

Relatives said Jimenez was shot in the neck and initially could not speak, although they expected her to survive. There has been no public medical statement on either sister's condition.

Conflicting Reports on Pregnancy

Publicly reported details about Duarte's pregnancy differ. It was reported that she was 16 weeks pregnant, while the family's GoFundMe campaign described her as 14 weeks pregnant.

The shooting took place near the sisters' apartment, close to Roscoe and Topanga Canyon boulevards. Duarte's uncle said that she was driving when the man approached the car.

The uncle also said the suspect was known to the family and maintained that the case was not related to gang activity.

'The suspect is someone who is close to the family. He is known to the family. We don't understand why he made that decision,' he told ABC7.

Those claims reflect the family's account. Los Angeles police have not publicly identified a motive or said whether the shooting was gang-related. Detectives are continuing to examine what led to the attack.

Police arrested Garcia in connection with the shooting, according to a report. The outlet reported that Garcia had been in a dating relationship with one of the women in the vehicle who was not shot.

Garcia faces three counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said. The charges are allegations, and Garcia is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Birthday and Gender Reveal Plans

Duarte's family had planned to celebrate her 23rd birthday on 11 September, when they were also due to hold a gender reveal.

Instead, relatives are focusing on supporting Duarte's daughter, who is six and approaching her seventh birthday. A relative said it had been difficult to hear the child asking when her mother would return.

'It's hard to hear her daughter ask, "When is Mommy coming back? I want Mommy with me",' the relative told the outlet.

The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical and funeral expenses and to support Duarte's daughter. The fundraiser says donations could also potentially be used to return Duarte's remains to El Salvador, where the family has roots.

The campaign also says Jimenez remains hospitalised. That information, along with details about Duarte's condition and pregnancy, comes from family members rather than public medical records or official hospital statements.

The Los Angeles Police Department's investigation remains ongoing. Detectives have not publicly released further information about a possible motive or the evidence underlying the charges against Garcia.

Timeline of the Attack and Family's Response

The shooting unfolded in the early morning hours of 23 August in an alley in the 8300 block of Northgate Avenue, according to LAPD. Officers said a man approached the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

Duarte and Jimenez were among five people inside the car at the time of the shooting. Three others in the vehicle were not injured.

Following the attack, Duarte was taken to hospital, where she remained in critical condition. Family members said she fought for her life for nine days before doctors told them there was nothing more they could do.

It was reported on 2 September that the family said Duarte and her unborn baby had died. The latest report, published on 4 September, described her as brain-dead, according to her family.

Garcia was arrested the following week in connection with the shooting. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Garcia with three counts of attempted murder.

Duarte's uncle said that the family was struggling to understand why someone they knew would carry out such an attack.

'It was so tragic. I couldn't believe it,' he said.

The family's GoFundMe campaign says they had never imagined facing 'a tragedy of this magnitude.' It also says the family is trying to work out how to bring Duarte home, with the possibility of returning her remains to El Salvador.

The fundraiser has been set up to help cover medical and funeral expenses, as well as to support Duarte's six-year-old daughter.

The Los Angeles Police Department's investigation remains ongoing. Detectives have not publicly set out a motive or released further details about the evidence against Garcia.