ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — A drive-by shooting in Arvin has left one family without their daughter and a son in the hospital in critical condition. Now the community is coming together to help support the family.
Liliana was the name of the 10-year-old girl who was shot and killed in Arvin. Her brother, Christian is in critical condition at Kern Medical.
Crime
Arvin Police search for suspects in shooting death of 10-year-old
23ABC was able to speak with members of the community that are hoping to help the family in any way they can.
“It's just sad you know. Hopefully, they get whoever did it,” said neighbor Gabriela Lopez.
Lopez lives in front of this house where the shooting took place Saturday night just before midnight.
“We were already asleep and our room is like right here next to the street and we just heard gunshots. And it was like four or five of them and it scared us you know and we were like what’s going on.”
Lopez says as a mother she first checked on her daughters and then her husband realized something happened to the kids across the street.
“So I went outside and I checked but I could hear someone saying something but I couldn’t understand what they were saying so I came back inside the house and my husband said I hear someone saying, ‘my daughter, help my daughter.’”
Arvin Police Chief Eddie Brock says three victims were shot at the scene. The 10-year-old girl died before making it to the hospital. Police say one witness did attempt to follow the vehicle.
“After the initial shooting, a person did follow the car and did get very close and a second shooting did occur as a result of that.”
The investigation is still underway, but police need more witness information.
“We don’t have very much suspect information," said Brock. "We have at least one driver and one shooter from a vehicle.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH POLICE CHIEF EDDIE BROCK:
While it is not known if this is gang-related members of the community say gang violence has gotten worse within the city of Arvin recently.
“Gang violence is getting really bad and somebody’s got to do something about it. Now they’re taking kids' lives. Somebody’s got to step in and try to stop this violence,” said one resident.
The Perez family is also trying to help Liliana and Christain’s family by selling lemonade and water. They say this hit them hard because they also have a 10-year-old son.
“It's becoming scary to leave our teenage kids to walk to McDonald's because we don’t know what’s going to happen. Like I’m scared to get a call like 'hey your son just got shot' or something happened to him. It's crazy.”
Police say if you know someone or anything related to this that can help the investigation, please call the Arvin Police Department at (661) 854-5583.
