Angel Velazquez
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CANDID ID: CA_22_1006
AGE
6   years
STATE
California
DATE OF DEATH
6/5/2022
STATE REPORTS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On the evening of June 5, 2022, at approximately 9:20 p.m., 6-year-old Angel Velazquez and his 23-year-old mother, Yesli Velazquez Gonzalez, were fatally shot during a domestic violence incident in the backyard of their rented home in the 4200 block of Merced Avenue in Baldwin Park, California. The suspect, 36-year-old Rigoberto Covarrubias — the mother's boyfriend of a few years who was not Angel's biological father — shot both victims in their upper bodies during a domestic fight. Yesli was pronounced dead at the scene, while Angel was transported to a hospital where he later died. The suspect fled the scene and was not apprehended; investigators reported his car was possibly spotted crossing the border into Mexico.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

This is a firearm incident. The ABC7 article (Document 1) quotes neighbor Brian Sanchez: "We just heard gunshots, like five or six gunshots" and "We saw he had a gun in his hand." The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "GUNSHOT WOUNDS." Multiple documents describe the child and mother as having been shot by the suspect.

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

The child was fatally shot. The medical examiner report (Document 3) lists Cause A as "GUNSHOT WOUNDS." The CBS News article states "Both were found at the scene suffering from gunshot wounds to their upper bodies." The SGV CityWatch article notes "Baldwin Park Police officers went to the home after calls of gunfire and found both Angel and Yesli suffering gunshot wounds to their upper torsos." The shooting was an intentional inflicted injury by the mother's boyfriend.

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

The suspect, Rigoberto Covarrubias, was the mother's boyfriend and not the child's biological father. The CBS News article states: "Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have also released the identity of the suspect wanted in connection with the shooting, Gonzalez's boyfriend Rigoberto Covarrubias, 36-years-old. He was not the boy's father." The ABC7 follow-up (Document 5) states: "The family said it was Yesli's boyfriend of a few years, Rigoberto Covarrubias, who shot Yesli and Angel outside the home they rented."

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Multiple documents reference domestic violence. The ABC7 article (Document 1) headline and text state the shooting "may have been a result of a domestic violence incident." The CBS News article describes the killings as "domestic-related." The SGV CityWatch article quotes LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis: "a mother and child were tragically murdered in a domestic violence-related shooting in Baldwin Park." The ABC7 follow-up (Document 5) states: "They're also sharing their heartbreak, hoping this type of domestic violence doesn't happen to anyone else."

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Notable Details

Several notable details emerge: (1) The suspect, Rigoberto Covarrubias, fled the scene and was not apprehended. The ABC7 follow-up (Document 5) states: "the family said that sheriff's investigators told them his car was possibly spotted crossing the border into Mexico." (2) The victim's mother, Yesli Velazquez Gonzalez, was a staff member of the Baldwin Park Unified School District, and her son Angel was a student in the district, as noted by superintendent Froilan Mendoza in Document 4. (3) The significant age gap between the victim mother (23) and the suspect boyfriend (36) was noted across multiple sources.

Lives Cut Short