‘Our lives will never be the same.’ Family remembers mother-to-be, year after Merced murder
Victoria Lopez says the past year has been a blur since the murder of her 19-year old daughter Tatyanna Lopez and unborn granddaughter Ayanna.
Monday marked the one year anniversary of the night Tatyanna was gunned down in Merced’s Loughborough area while visiting friends.
Victoria Lopez, of Los Banos, joined family and friends to decorate a flower bed in remembrance of Tatyanna, who was killed only two weeks away from having her child Ayanna.
The flower bed is located in front yard of family friend Anya Garcia, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred on Conestoga Drive.
“It’s bittersweet, because I know she’s OK, but I just miss her so much,” Victoria said. “Knowing that her killer is still out there, frustrates me so much.”
Tatyanna was with her boyfriend her 18-year-old boyfriend Angel Legrande, of Los Banos, visiting friends at a residence when shots rang out just before 10 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 last year.
Tatyanna died at the scene and Legrande was taken to regional trauma center with gunshot wounds.
Victoria Lopez said police are still searching for suspect Jonathan Xavier Dorado of Los Banos. A warrant has been issued for Dorado’s arrest.
“Where ever her killer is at we want him brought to justice,” Victoria Lopez said. “I don’t think I’ll fully be able to heal or grieve until I know he’s caught.”
Victoria Lopez spent Monday morning decorating the flower bed with photos, flowers, small statues, stuffed animals and candles. She sat in front of the flower bed, embracing her daughter Yesenia Jaurigue and listening to music.
“It helps a lot,” Victoria Lopez said. “It lets me know that she’s not forgotten about, not just by me, but everyone else.”
They used purple and pink flowers in honor of Tatyanna. On Monday afternoon the group was headed to Aptos to release lanterns in the air on the beach, because Tatyanna loved the beach.
“Purple was her favorite color and pink was her favorite color for the baby,” said Tatyanna’s grandmother Anna Navarro of Gilroy. “She was so excited about being a mom. Without hesitation I’ve cried every day for the past year. I just miss her so much. It’s the worst pain that anyone can feel.”
Victoria Lopez says this past year has been painful.
She said everything is tough as her life has become this dense fog. She said it’s hard finding happiness in relationships or with friendships.
“My days have no sense of direction,” she said. “I forget so much. I’m just lost. Our lives will never be the same again. I’ve felt the worst pain I can possibly ever felt. Everything I do is kind of like a blur. My days go by and it’s like a blur. It’s just been hard, everything has been hard.”
“Everything I do reminds me of her,” she added. “I could be driving and I just start crying because I miss her.”
The family wanted to hold the remembrance to not only honor Tatyanna, but to also bring awareness to gun violence.
“I want to turn my daughter’s death into something positive,” Victoria Lopez said. “I don’t want her death to be looked at as ‘poor her’ or another statistic. I want her name to have a positive outlook on it, maybe a foundation in her name for siblings of gun violence and maybe branch out to scholarships for kids.”
A warrant has been issued for Dorado’s arrest.
Anyone with any information about the suspect’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective John Pinnegar at 209-388-7712 or email at pinnegarj@cityofmerced.org.
Anonymous tips can also be left at (209) 385-4725 www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html
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This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 12:13 PM.
