Authorities are still searching for the suspect who shot and killed a woman in Lynwood in 2024.
The victim was identified as Irene Gonzalez, 30, a mother of two children, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On Sept. 15, 2024, Gonzalez had been working as a prostitute near Long Beach Boulevard and Carlin Avenue. At around 1 a.m., she was seen entering a black vehicle, possibly a Toyota Corolla, driven by a Hispanic man, according to detectives.
Surveillance footage shortly before 2 a.m. shows the suspect vehicle stopping in front of 12514 Oak Street, where Gonzalez quickly exited the car before she was shot in the back while fleeing.
The suspect sped away before Gonzalez collapsed on the ground between two parked cars. At around 5:30 a.m., her body was discovered by a passerby walking in the area. There were no witnesses to the shooting, investigators said.
Gonzalez was the mother of one juvenile son and an adult son with autism, authorities said.
“Irene was a mother who cared deeply for her two sons and was known to always put her sons before herself,” said LASD Lt. Steve De Jong at a Sept. 15, 2025, press conference, one year after her murder. “Her family described her as a caring soul, always putting others before herself. She found joy in helping others and being a loyal friend and sister. She did not deserve to die in the manner that she did.”
A $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s apprehension is being offered by L.A. County officials. The suspect’s vehicle is described as a black 2014-2018 Toyota sedan, possibly a Corolla.
“It has been one year since Irene lost her life in a vicious, close-range shooting, and her killer has still not been found,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Irene and her loved ones deserve justice, and this violent criminal with no regard for human life belongs behind bars. We need the public’s help here. If you saw or may have seen something, please come forward.”
“Every detail matters,” investigators said. “Justice for Irene Gonzalez and closure for her family depends on the community’s help.”
Gonzalez is survived by her mother, two sons, three siblings and friends and family.
Anyone with information is urged to call the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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