Missing Mother of 6 Among Bodies Found Dead in Homeless Encampment
Police said the bodies of two people were discovered inside a tent in the Westlake district of Los Angeles on Monday, May 12
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed one of the victims as Lucrecia Macias Barajas, a mother of six
'It devastated us,' one of Barajas' daughters said about their motherA mother of six children who went missing for several days is among the victims found dead inside a tent at a California homeless encampment, authorities said.
The discovery happened on Monday, May 12, at the 1200 block of Huntley Drive near the 110 Freeway in the Westlake district of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed in an email to PEOPLE on Friday, May 16, that one of the deceased victims was Lucrecia Macias Barajas, 46.
The medical examiner's office said the other victim was a male in his 30s. He has not yet been identified pending notification of next of kin.
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Barajas' daughters told CW affiliate KTLA that their loved one was a mother of six children and an Army veteran.
'My sister, she called to tell us that she found our mom dead,' Amely Becerra, one of Barajas's daughters, told the outlet. 'It devastated us. We didn't understand how it happened.'
Barajas was reportedly missing for several days and her family was unable to reach her, per KTLA. They were able to trace Barajas's cell phone signal to the location of the tent.
NBC affiliate KNBC shared footage posted on Instagram showing two of Barajas' children breaking down upon discovering their mother's body in the tent, which was reportedly locked from the inside.
A GoFundMe was established on behalf of Barajas' family so they could bury their mother next to her father in Nicaragua.
'Those of you who knew Lucre know very well that she would give the food out of her mouth to make sure you had a bite to eat,' the organizer wrote in the description.
They added, 'She loved wholeheartedly and was selfless, caring, loving. She left us all too soon and it is a shame to lose such a wonderful human being. Not only because she was our sister but because she was a saint to whoever got to meet her.'
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Residents who live in the vicinity described the encampment as a drive-through for drugs, KNBC reported, adding that neighbors have contacted the city a number of times about it but to no avail.
'I want people to know she wasn't a homeless drug addict, because that's not true,' Becerra told KTLA. 'Some people are coming to that conclusion and that's not fair. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.'
On the same day of the discovery of the two bodies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a model ordinance for cities and counties 'to immediately address dangerous and unhealthy encampments' and help connect people experiencing homelessness to shelter and services.
The ordinance would include banning persistent camping in one location and prohibiting encampments that block free passage on sidewalks.
PEOPLE contacted the LAPD and the GoFundMe organizer for additional information on Friday.
Read the original article on People
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