Vigil held for pregnant mother of 3 who was shot and killed in Montebello

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (KABC) -- A vigil was held Monday for a woman who was shot to death in a Montebello apartment the night before.

Dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil for the victim, identified as Roxann Acosta. Friends, neighbors and other loved ones hugged each other and cried as they placed photos, candles, flowers and posters across the street from where she was killed.

Family members said she was pregnant and a mother of three children from a previous relationship.

Authorities responded to reports of a shooting around 9:56 p.m. Sunday in the 12000 block of West Victoria Avenue. When officers arrived, they found the 28-year-old woman suffering from a single gunshot wound.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities said she was shot inside an apartment unit. There were other people in the apartment when the shooting happened, but no one was arrested or detained, police said.

The male suspect fled the scene and remained on the loose. Friends and family at the Monday night vigil said the suspect has a history of domestic violence.

Alicia Acosta, Roxann's mother, said her daughter had the ability to lift anyone's spirit.

"She was full of joy. She lit everybody up, everybody's spirits. She didn't deserve to go out the way she did," she said.

Acosta said her daughter filed for divorce from the suspect, named Christopher Diaz. Roxann was eight weeks pregnant with another man's baby when Diaz killed her.

"The ex-husband of hers put a gun to her head and shot her in the house. He shot her. I died with her. We all died with her," Alicia Acosta said.

Roxann had three other children, not fathered by Diaz. Her son Isaiah said he loved his mother.

Everyone at the vigil hopes Diaz - who police have not officially identified as the main suspect - turns himself in.

Authorities said one person was arrested in connection to the fatal shooting, but the person was not the primary suspect. The person's involvement in the shooting was not released.

A GoFundMe page was set up to pay for funeral expenses. If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe page, you may do so by going to gofundme.com/our-beloved-roxann.

The investigation was ongoing.