Oakland family devastated after mother of 8 killed confronting suspected drug dealers
An Oakland family is heartbroken after a woman was fatally shot after confronting a group of suspected drug dealers, in an effort to protect her children.
Blanca Velasco and her daughter were just trying to protect their kids when they tried to talk to a group of suspected drug dealers parked outside their home. The 33-year-old daughter, Maria Ramos, however, was shot by one of the people in the vehicle.
There is now a memorial outside of Blanca Velasco's East Oakland home for her daughter. Ramos had eight children from 1 to 15 years old. Her 5-year-old girl is still waiting for her mom to come home.
"She says, 'I hear mommy is dead, but she's still coming back from the hospital, right grandma?'" said Blanca Velasco, Ramos' mother. "I would be like, 'yeah,' because I don't know how to tell her she's not coming back."
A week ago, Velasco and Ramos noticed a blue Toyota in front of their home, which they believed was trying to deliver marijuana vapes to one of the teens.
"When I saw them, I just wanted to let them know that my kids are 11, 13, 15 and 16," said Velasco. "Don't come by my house."
Velasco said they followed the car as it drove away. When they stopped, they thought they would just be able to talk.
"When I saw that they were kids, I'm thinking, they're kids," said Velasco. "I told my daughter, 'It's just me and you, two girls, no weapons. They're just probably going to curse us out.' But it never came to my mind that they would have a gun. My daughter got out of the car, she looked at me and turned around. As she turned around, I just saw her running and I heard the bang. It just happened so quick."
In an effort to block the bullets from hitting her daughter, Velasco put her car in between her daughter and the suspects. Then she led them away from the scene with her life now in danger.
"As I see the one in the back, holding the gun, make eye contact with me and then point the gun at me, I stepped on the gas. So they followed me," said Velasco.
About a block later, the suspects fled and Velasco drove back to her daughter, thinking Ramos had dodged the bullets. Instead, she found her lifeless body on the ground.
"It's very upsetting that when we called 911, they put you on hold," she said. "I was like, 'Baby please, your kids still need you and I need you. Please breathe slowly.' And she did, she was breathing with her nose. She did it like five times."
Oakland Police officers tried to keep Ramos alive until paramedics arrived, but she died at the scene. Velasco has been trying to grieve the loss of her daughter, but she said the 13 grandkids she's taking care of now keep her busy. She just hopes one day she can tell Ramos' children that the people who took their mom's life are paying for their crimes.
"I want justice for my daughter, Velasco said. "The way they took her life was so unfair. Oakland is very bad, and I don't see any changes. I just see it get worse every day."
On Aug. 16, Oakland police confirmed that they arrested an adult suspect along with two teenage suspects in connection with the deadly shooting within 12 hours of the fatal encounter.
Police have not identified the adult suspect in the shooting.