Boulder Thrown From Pasadena Overpass Kills Young Father

PASADENA, CA — A Los Angeles man with his second baby on the way was killed Tuesday on the Ventura (134) Freeway when someone threw a boulder from an overpass above. Now police are asking for help finding his killer.

Guadalupe Gutierrez, 21, was driving her 2017 Toyota Corolla westbound in the carpool lane with her husband and their daughter when a large boulder dropped from the Orange Grove Boulevard overpass above at about 8:55 p.m. Tuesday.

"As she was about to drive under Orange Grove Boulevard, a large boulder -- about 30-35 pounds in weight -- suddenly travelled through her front windshield, striking her husband in the front right passenger seat," CHP investigators said. The rock landed on 23-year-old Christopher Lopez. His wife rushed him to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, but by the time they got there he was dead.

CHP officials have little doubt the boulder was thrown on purpose.

“This was an intentional act,” CHP Lt. Chuck Geletko told the Pasadena Star-News. “This was an innocent family driving home. Because of a careless person or persons, their lives will be forever changed.”

At a press conference Thursday, a pregnant Gutierrez broke down in tears.

“Out of nowhere. … He’s gone,” she told reporters.

The couple had just learned they were expecting a second child together.

"Now he's gone. I'm asking for your help, if anybody saw anything," she said. "He didn’t deserve this. My daughter didn't deserve this."

Friends of the family set up a GoFundMe account to help with the funeral costs.

“He was a good person who loved his family,” wrote Paola Herrera Freyre. “He was killed an innocent man and I hope we’re able to catch whoever did this to him.”

Police hope someone in the area Tuesday night witnessed something suspicious. Investigators are canvassing a nearby homeless encampment in hope that someone there witnessed anything out of the ordinary. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the California Highway Patrol at at (626) 296-8100.

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe