An elderly man who was brutally assaulted while in the restroom of a Southern California grocery store last month died Wednesday morning, a family member told ABC7.
The 80-year-old man, identified as Roberto Flores-Lopez, was found in the restroom of Superior Grocers in Lancaster on July 7 and rushed to the hospital with severe injuries that included multiple broken ribs, a broken eye socket, facial fractures, and mental trauma.
“My dad didn’t deserve this, my dad was a good man,” the victim’s daughter, Cecelia Ramirez, told the network following his passing.
“My dad was a giving, kindhearted man and would never hurt anybody. All we want is justice for my dad, I want him to be prosecuted, who did this to my dad, with attempted murder because he killed my father,” she continued.
The family member who told the station Flores-Lopez died did not provide a cause of death. Though an update on his health on July 21 said that he returned home following two “long weeks of recovery in the hospital,” according to a GoFundMe, set up at the time he was hospitalized.
The page added that because of their grandfather’s age and “pre-existing heart condition,” his full recovery “will take months and possibly years.”
Police at the time said Flores-Lopez was found in a pool of blood. Two people were arrested in connection with the attack just days after deputies put up wanted posters with pictures of the suspects.
Lancaster Sheriff’s Station detectives announced the arrest of 22-year-old Damaris Wade and 33-year-old Tamika White, who surrendered themselves to authorities after police identified the suspects in a surveillance video of the attack.
****Suspects sought in connection to brutal beating of elderly #Lancaster man ARRESTED*** https://t.co/UfnBCoO1kS https://t.co/8Lx15hXZTG
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) July 12, 2020
Wade has been accused of stealing Flores-Lopez’s wallet and was initially facing charges of attempted murder, elder abuse with the infliction of injury, and second-degree robbery, local outlet the Antelope Valley Times reported. If convicted, he could face a potential 25-year-to-life sentence, prosecutors said, though, it has not yet been announced if he will face additional charges following Flores-Lopez’s death.
Wade was previously convicted in another robbery in 2016, the outlet reported.
Lancaster officials said at the time of the arrest that White, who is reportedly Wade’s girlfriend, accompanied Wade to the grocery store.
White was initially charged with being an accessory to the crime, but that charge was later dropped after surveillance footage didn’t appear to show her involved in the attack.
“I think we have great ties with our community leaders,” Lancaster Lieutenant Jon Hoyt told FOX6 at the time of the arrest. “This was a serious crime that was solved.”
“Crimes against our most vulnerable residents can stir up a lot of emotions,” a deputy at the sheriff’s office told the outlet. “Your actions in the last few days are reflective of the fantastic community we have.”
Flores-Lopez’s family provided a picture and a statement on the fundraising page after the grandfather of 17 was released from the hospital following his “two long weeks of recovery.”
“He is very optimistic, like all families we have our disagreements however when this event occurred we all gathered together and my grandpa stated that even though this tragedy brought pain it brought beauty in seeing his family all together for this photo,” the page reads.
Flores-Lopez is survived by his wife, four children, 16 grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
According to ABC7, the family was already mourning the recent loss of another family member who died from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus prior to the passing of Flores-Lopez.
