Lourdes Padilla, a 70-year-old resident of Inglewood, California, tragically lost her life on December 25, 2018. On Christmas Day, Padilla was walking along Yukon Avenue near West 104th Street when she was confronted by a woman who attempted to steal her purse. During the struggle, the assailant shot Padilla multiple times before fleeing the scene in a black four-door 2019 Toyota Yaris IA or Scion IA with yellow paper plates.
Inglewood police officers found Padilla lying on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds and rushed her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead two days later. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation into Padilla's murder quickly identified two suspects: Donovan Bingaman, 20, and Lizet Martinez, 29. Bingaman, a documented member of a Las Vegas-based street gang, and Martinez were known to frequent California, Nevada, and Arizona. On January 21, 2019, police in Casa Grande, Arizona, attempted to stop the couple while they were driving a white Nissan Versa with paper plates. However, they managed to escape after a high-speed chase. The suspects were eventually apprehended on February 1, 2019, in Odessa, Texas, on a probable-cause warrant for Padilla's murder.
The Inglewood Police Department filed information with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, leading to murder charges against Bingaman and Martinez. The case garnered significant attention, with the police and Padilla's family appealing to the public for information to aid in the investigation. An online fundraising page was also established by a friend of Padilla's daughter to support the victim's family during this difficult time. The community's response and the collaborative efforts of law enforcement across multiple states were instrumental in bringing the suspects to justice.
