Loved ones are devastated after a woman and a man were found shot to death at a Pomona apartment complex and the woman’s boyfriend was arrested after leading officers on a dangerous pursuit.

On Friday, friends and family gathered outside the Pomona apartment complex where Veronica Lopez, 24, and Richard Brady, 48, were found fatally shot.

On June 18, Pomona police were called to the Monterey Station Apartments at 180 E. Monterey Ave. just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting.

Officers made their way up to a fourth-floor apartment hallway where they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

Despite life-saving measures, both were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect and Veronica’s boyfriend, Robert Galtman, 48, had fled the scene in a Kia sedan.

Around 5 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers spotted his vehicle on the freeway and he led them on a high-speed, hour-long chase before officers successfully performed a PIT maneuver that disabled his vehicle. He surrendered and was taken into custody. 

Friends and family members are devastated over the victims’ deaths and have so many unanswered questions.

“I don’t understand,” said Sheila Lopez, Veronica’s mother. “She didn’t deserve this.”

Sheila had spoken to her daughter just hours before the deadly shooting. She told her daughter she would call her later after work, but when she did, her daughter never answered the phone.

Her family later learned that Veronica had been shot and killed and that her boyfriend of several years, Galtman, was under arrest.  

Lopez’s family said that Veronica was in an abusive relationship and they believe she was trying to leave her boyfriend when she was killed. They had also previously urged her to leave.

“I believe she was walking away,” Sheila told KTLA’s Lindsey Pena. “I think she should’ve just walked away. This is why this all happened.”

They also believe the other victim, Brady, was likely just trying to help her. Brady’s close friend and the mother of his child, Heather Cantu, agreed, saying helping others in a situation like that is something he would’ve done.

“I just think that if she was in an abusive relationship, that’s what he was doing,” Cantu said.

His brother told The Daily Bulletin that he was aware of Veronica’s abusive relationship.

“My brother helped her out of that situation,” he told the outlet. “They became friends. My brother stuck up for those who couldn’t stick up for themselves. Unfortunately, he walked into a situation out of his control.”

Cantu described him as a loving father to two children and a kind man and who will be greatly missed. 

“We’ll all remember how happy he made everybody,” Cantu said. “He was a jokester. He was always happy and he always tried to make everybody else feel good.”

On Friday night, loved ones gathered at a growing memorial outside the Pomona apartment complex where the victims and the suspect all lived.

Sheila said Veronica was the youngest of her five daughters, who always lit up a room and brought joy to those around her.

“She’s definitely someone to miss,” Sheila said. “She’s a great skateboarder. She loves to go to games and she loves her family.”

In a GoFundMe page, loved ones said Veronica “had a way of making everyone around her feel loved and valued. The pain of losing her is unimaginable, and our hearts are broken.”

Galtman remains in custody on $3.1 million bail.

A GoFundMe page to help Veronica’s family with funeral expenses can be found here.

A GoFundMe page to help Brady’s family with funeral expenses can be found here.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Pomona Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 909-620-2085.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help finding witnesses after a man allegedly pointed a handgun at numerous passing cars in Castaic on June 18.

The man was allegedly seen pointing the gun at cars near Lake Hughes Road and Ridge Route Road between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The suspect was described as wearing a red shirt and black shorts.

Authorities provided a photo of the man seen running in the street while holding something in his left hand.

Anyone who may have witnessed the alleged assaults, is a victim of the incident or has information about the case is asked to call Detective Marinelli at (661) 260-4000 ext. 5618.

Southern California is enjoying a comfortable stretch of below-average temperatures that should continue through Father’s Day, but a strong heat wave is looming.

A significant warming trend will begin early next week before peaking Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

“Another one of those ridges of high pressure is expected to build in, with temperatures really heating up,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said. “We’re looking at temperatures reaching triple digits in parts of the High Desert and Inland Empire as well.”

An extreme heat watch has been issued for parts of Los Angeles County, including Woodland Hills, Pomona, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and other areas, from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening.

Temperatures in those areas could range from the upper 80s to 100 degrees.

The Weather Service suggested the following actions:

• Continue to monitor the latest forecasts, as the amount of heating is still uncertain
• Adjust plans now to stay cool next week
• Check in with elderly neighbors and family members to ensure they are aware of the hot forecast

The high-pressure system is expected to weaken on Thursday, bringing cooler temperatures as we head into next weekend.