Family of mother, infant found stabbed to death in Anaheim speak out

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- The family of Moureen Gathua-Carpenter spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since the 24-year-old was stabbed to death on Monday, along with her 6-month-old son.

As they spoke, the suspected killer and Gathua-Carpenter's husband, 24-year-old Kwame Carpenter, was in court at his arraignment hearing that was pushed to July.

"At age 24, she loved being a mom, she loved her little boy," Reverend Dr. Kimani G. Patrick said.

On Monday, police responded to a felony assault in progress at the Kimberly Terrace Apartments in the 2600 block of W. Ball Road in Anaheim.

When officers arrived, they found Gathua-Carpenter and her infant son suffering from serious injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son, Kyan Gathua-Carpenter, was taken to a hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Carpenter was arrested Tuesday after a pursuit by police that wound up with him attempting to hide in a lake at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. He was booked at the Anaheim Police Department Temporary Detention Facility and was held without bail. He faces homicide charges.

On Thursday, Gathua-Carpenter's family chose to focus on her extraordinary life. Gathua-Carpenter, who came from Kenya, headed out to America for the "great opportunities" offered here, her family said.

"The thing is, it's not how young or how old you live, it's how you lived your life. Moureen truly lived her life in a way that we'll always remember with what she gave us and the joy she lived it," her brother, Jimmie Kariuki said.

Funeral plans will be held off until her father, sister and grandmother can make the trip out from Kenya. The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses at Gofundme.com/xd5e5d5c.