Pato Gonzalez Murder-suicide – Pato Gonzalez was the victim of a drive-by gunshot that lost her life on May 31, 1999, in a devastating occurrence that stunned the tranquil hamlet of Ithaca, New York. The tragedy occurred on a busy street intersection, leaving a distraught father and a devastated family behind. The Journal News writes on the incident’s aftermath, putting light on the details surrounding the murder-suicide that occurred in late spring 1999.
Witnesses said the unfortunate incident happened around 1 a.m., when six gunshots rang out from a white minivan. According to the police investigation, Pato Gonzalez’s father had intervened in an argument, and the individuals involved may have sought vengeance by returning to the same street corner with murderous intentions.
The perpetrators, brothers John and Mark Lopez (28 and 17, respectively), and Jesus Pimental (19), were charged with second-degree murder, intentional murder, murder with depraved indifference to human life, attempted murder, first-degree assault, and weapons offenses. During the ceremony, Pato’s bereaved father, Ruben Turull, expressed the profound impact of his son’s death.
He gently revealed after a choir performance that the service provided as a type of closure for him, stating, “It helps me.” A mural in Pato Gonzalez’s honor was built at the Wales Avenue intersection, immortalizing her memory in the community. The tragedy had an impact on the community that extended beyond the immediate family.
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