A fight broke out in Texas on a street when a woman defended her daughter who was being bullied in school.
The mom was killed after she was run over by another woman in a hit-and-run.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ashley Lopez was crushed under a car after a fight outside her house in San Antonio. The dispute started when the family of her daughter’s bullies showed up at the home ready to fight.
Ana Blanco, Lopez’s mother, said that her 11-year-old granddaughter was being bullied by other kids in school and that Lopez intervened when her daughter’s abusers started a fight on her street.
Lopez, who had five children, was in the middle of an argument that, according to the police, involved at least 30 people shouting, when she started fighting with another woman in the crowd.
A woman, whom police later identified as 36-year-old Penny Gomez, left in the middle of the ongoing fight and entered a silver Hyundai Sonata. She started up the engine and then intentionally drove toward Lopez and the other woman while they were arguing.
Gomez drove her car directly into the two women, killed Lopez, and injured the other one.
According to the arrest affidavit, at least five witnesses told police they saw Gomez drive straight into the victims.
Lopez’s mother said that witnesses were hitting Gomez’s car, trying to stop it, and yelling that Lopez was under the car, but Gomez failed to stop.
Gomez drove on, dragging the two women about 20 to 30 feet, and then drove away from the scene.
Witnesses gave police cell phone footage of the incident, which confirmed their statements. Two passengers in Gomez’s car exited the car and returned to the scene where the victims were injured. Their statements corroborated those of the other witnesses.
Lopez’s sister-in-law, Andrea Mata, and her mother, Blanco, told reporters that they believed that Gomez’s daughter was staying in Lopez’s house at the time of the killing but said they did not know her.
Police arrested Gomez and charged her with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
According to the police, further investigation revealed Gomez was wanted on unrelated drug possession charges.
In addition to the murder and assault charges, Gomez faces drug possession charges.
