Tatyanna Mariah Lopez, a 19-year-old from Merced, California, tragically lost her life on April 18, 2021, in a shooting incident. Tatyanna, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was attending a gathering with her boyfriend, Angel Legrande, in the backyard of a house in Merced. Around 9:50 PM, multiple gunshots were fired into the backyard from outside the fence, striking both Tatyanna and Angel.
While Angel survived his injuries, Tatyanna and her unborn daughter, Ayanna, did not survive the attack.
The investigation revealed that Tatyanna was not the intended target of the shooting. The authorities discovered that the shooting was gang-related, and the actual target was her boyfriend, Angel, who had gang affiliations. The police identified the shooter as Jonathan Xavier Dorado, a 19-year-old with connections to a rival gang. The motive for the shooting was believed to be retaliation for a physical altercation between Angel and a member of Dorado's gang the night before the incident.
Following the shooting, Dorado fled and remained at large for over a year. In May 2021, the police received a tip that led them to the murder weapon, a 9mm handgun, hidden in the engine compartment of a car in Modesto, California. Phone records and cell tower data placed Dorado in the vicinity of the crime scene on the night of the shooting. Despite these leads, Dorado managed to evade capture until August 2022, when he was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico, by U.S. Marshals and local authorities. He was subsequently extradited to California to face charges.
Dorado was charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, gang enhancement, and a probation violation. The case against him is ongoing, with the authorities continuing to investigate any additional suspects or individuals who may have assisted Dorado while he was a fugitive. Tatyanna's family, still mourning the loss of both Tatyanna and her unborn child, Ayanna, is preparing for the trial and seeking justice for their loved ones.
