LOS ANGELES, CA – Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the murder of Irene Gonzalez, a mother of two who was fatally shot while working as a prostitute in Lynwood on September 15.
The reward, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on November 26, is intended to incentivize the public’s cooperation in solving the case. Gonzalez, described as the mother of an adult autistic son and a juvenile son, was killed under what officials called “vicious” circumstances.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), deputies received a report of a gunshot victim at around 5:43 a.m. in the 12500 block of Oak Street. When they arrived, a citizen directed them to Gonzalez, who was lying face down, suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:55 a.m.
Investigators believe Gonzalez had been soliciting services as a sex worker earlier in the night and entered the front passenger seat of an older model, black four-door sedan with tinted windows and a sunroof.
“After being inside the vehicle for a couple of minutes, she was shot while exiting the vehicle and ran away,” said a statement from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office. Gonzalez reportedly ran southbound before collapsing behind a parked vehicle.
Hahn, who sponsored the motion for the reward, called the shooting a senseless act of violence. “This was a vicious, close-range shooting, and now there are two sons without the mother they so needed,” she said. “Solving this crime won’t bring their mom back, but Irene and her loved ones deserve justice, and this violent criminal with no regard for human life belongs behind bars.”
Hahn urged anyone with information about the crime to come forward. “If you saw or may have seen something, please call us. Irene’s sons need you,” she added.
LASD officials said Gonzalez may have been shot hours before deputies arrived. The black sedan believed to be involved in the shooting was parked near 12514 Oak Street at the time of the incident, according to Hahn’s release.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about violence in vulnerable communities and the urgent need for public assistance in bringing justice to victims like Gonzalez and their families.
