A New Mexico college student was killed in a traffic crash while traveling home hours after her mother was fatally shot, according to police and reports.
Haylee Gonzalez, 21, was a freshman attending the University of New Mexico.
On September 8, her mother, 38-year-old Stacia Pearce, was fatally shot in Roswell, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Earlier that morning, a friend had called police after hearing several gunshots over the telephone while speaking with Pearce, Roswell police said.
The friend could no longer hear Pearce on the phone after the shots rang out, police said in a news release shared later that day.
Pearce and 39-year-old Tony Joseph Ontiveros were ultimately found fatally shot inside Pearce’s home, according to police.
Pearce’s vehicle was stolen from the residence following the shooting, police said. The car has since been found.
On Friday, September 11, Roswell police announced officers had “made contact” with a person of interest, Manuel Gallegos, in connection with the shooting.
Authorities have shared no additional details on Gallegos, police said. No arrests have been made.
It was not immediately clear whether Gallegos had retained legal counsel.
While on campus in Albuquerque, Gonzalez learned of her mother’s death and prepared to travel home, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Gonzalez was picked up from campus by her cousin to drive to Roswell to be with loved ones, the newspaper reported.
During the drive, a semitrailer ran a red light on Interstate 40 and struck their vehicle, according to police.
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Gonzalez was killed in the collision, police said. Her cousin was critically injured in Albuquerque.
“All they wanted to do was get back to Roswell to heal, and it’s unfortunate this happened,” Pearce’s cousin, Tula Pearce, told the Albuquerque Journal.
“We’re all kind of in shock because what’s the chance of this even happening? Within the span of six hours, the family’s already lost two people,” the relative told the newspaper.
The injured driver was identified as Noelle Sanchez, Gonzalez’s cousin.
Sanchez is a cheerleader at the University of New Mexico, according to the university’s Spirit Program.
Sanchez remained hospitalized as a result of the crash as of Monday, September 14, KOB-TV reported.
In an Instagram post sharing a photo of Sanchez, the program wrote, “Noelle is currently recovering from injuries sustained in an accident, while her family is also grieving the heartbreaking loss of her cousin, Haylee.”
Pearce’s stepdaughter, Brittany Maidment, addressed the loss in a Friday Facebook post.
“Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of Stacia, and we are now facing preparing her funeral and a small celebration of life,” Maidment wrote.
Pearce has two other children, Maidment said. She leaves behind a 6-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
Maidment organized a GoFundMe campaign to support the family following the deaths.
“Stacia leaves behind two children, ages 6 and 12 years old, who are now facing the unimaginable heartbreak of losing their mother,” Maidment wrote.
“Their father is left to raise them on his own as they grieve the loss of their mom and sister,” Maidment wrote.
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