Teen who was weeks away from graduation fatally shot while sitting in car with boyfriend in Yucaipa
"Yzabella was a beautiful daughter with her whole life ahead of her," said her heartbroken father.
YUCAIPA, Calif. (KABC) -- Yzabella Perez should be preparing to attend her high school prom.
"It makes no sense. That is the reason we live in Yucaipa community for things like this not to happen," said Perez's heartbroken father, who did not want to be identified.
On Wednesday, his 17-year-old daughter died of injuries she suffered on Saturday, April 29, when someone opened fire on the vehicle she had been sitting in with her boyfriend.
"Yzabella was a beautiful daughter with her whole life ahead of her," said the father. "She just finished all her high school credits two weeks ago. So, she was going to walk this year. Right now, her main concern was her prom dress."
The shooting happened at 11:28 p.m. that night in the 34000 block of Princeton Drive. Perez and her 18-year-old boyfriend were sitting inside a parked car outside Perez's home when the suspect or suspects walked up and opened fire on the vehicle.
The suspect(s) fled the scene and have not been located.
"Right now, we don't have a lot of information on the suspect ... the investigation is ongoing," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's spokeswoman Gloria Huerta.
Homicide investigators believe the incident is isolated but have not revealed a motive behind the shooting.
"The detectives are looking for dark colored 4-door vehicle that may have been involved," said Huerta.
Perez was a senior at Yucaipa High School preparing for prom and graduation next month. Now, her family is pleading for help in finding her killer.
"Please reach out anonymously. This doesn't make any sense. They were kids. There is nothing they could have done in this life to warrant that kind of response," said the victim's father.
Perez's 18-year-old boyfriend with whom she dated for over a year was released from the hospital and is recovering. Perez's father had this message for the person who took his little girl's life.
"Whoever did this, you took an innocent life. You took something that cannot be given back. It cannot be made whole anymore. Search deep within your soul and know that is because of you."
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Detective Daniel Shelton of the Yucaipa Station at (909) 918-2305.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave information on the We-Tip Website at www.wetip.com.
