RivCo Man Shot, Killed In Mexico: 'Please Help Bring Isaac Home'

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A family celebration turned to tragedy this week when a Riverside County man was shot and killed in a robbery while traveling in Mexico to celebrate his sister's vow renewal ceremony.

Early Monday, Isaac Lopez, 23, of Hemet, was driving home from Ensenada when he was shot near Rosarito, according to a GoFundMe released by his family. The shot caused Lopez to crash, and the vehicle was ambushed. An attacker then shot Lopez's cousin and boyfriend, but both survived the violent ambush, KTLA reported.

In the end, three people were shot and Lopez died for a single cell phone that his robber made off with, according to his family.

His family believes that they were targeted due to their U.S. license plate, KTLA reported. The deadly robbery is the latest in a string of such attacks involving Americans visiting resort communities in Mexico. The ambush shooting targeting a vehicle full of travelers marks a troubling escalation of the violence. The State Department last year issued a warning to Americans traveling through parts of Mexico plagued by recent violence.

Lopez's sister, Karen Lajud, released the fundraiser to raise money to return his body to Riverside County.

“Isaac was such a loving person, and now a part of our lives has been torn apart. We need closure,” she wrote. "My mother has lost a child, and we have lost our brother. We would like to bring him home to have a proper burial and have a limited amount of time to bring him back.”

Thus far, the GoFundMe has raised $18,000, and donations continued to pour in.

Lopez hailed from Southwest Riverside County, and was an aspiring singer-songwriter living in Riverside. He participated in youth performances across Southwest Riverside County, and his death has rocked those who knew and performed with him, according to numerous social media posts.

His sister described the devastating phone call telling of Lopez's death.

The group was returning home after a weekend with family in Ensenada, celebrating the vow renewal and visiting his grandmother, according to Lajud, his sister. All three were shot and robbed in the attack. It took Mexican authorities over an hour to reach the scene, where Lopez had succumbed to his injuries, she said.

“They were about 30 minutes into driving (toward Rosarito) when Jake heard a pop," she told KTLA. "He looked over at Isaac, who was driving. He saw Isaac's head immediately go down, and he grabbed the steering wheel as the car drove into a ditch."

“They were like, ‘Is everybody okay?’ in Spanish and Jake was trying to get help,” Lajud told the station. "He was like, ‘Please help us,’ and when he said that, the guy took out a gun and shot Jake in the shoulder. He immediately went to the back and started saying, “Dinero, dinero, teléfonos!’ and he looked at Darlene and he shot her.”

Lajud said thieves only took a cell phone, leaving money and wallets behind. She told KTLA that her family is overwhelmed by the process of retrieving his body, and they are "buried in paperwork and high costs," also noting that Mexican officials have been unhelpful in the process.

“My brother didn't make it…Our family is distraught and trying to make sense of this tragedy,” She wrote on GoFundMe. "We've lost our brother. We only want him to have a proper burial. Please help us bring him home.”

SEE ALSO:

• U.S. Urges Spring Breakers To Avoid Mexico Due To Risk Of Kidnapping
• Elderly Inland Empire Man Beaten To Death In Tijuana: Report
• OC Public Defender Dies In Mexico, Family Alleges 'Brutal Crime'

Click here to read the full KTLA story.