Thanksgiving burglars kill 76-year-old woman’s dog
When 76-year-old Monica Lopez returned to her Covina home late on Thanksgiving night, she immediately sensed something was wrong. The side gate was wide open, and inside, the damage made it clear her house had been ransacked. Her bedroom was in disarray—clothes strewn across the floor, drawers yanked out and emptied, and glass scattered from a window shattered during the break-in.
Lopez says the intruders stole several valuables, including her wedding ring and the cash she had set aside for her next mortgage payment.
“I can’t believe people would do something like that,” Lopez told NewsNation affiliate KTLA. She and her daughter-in-law, who requested anonymity, believe the burglary happened between 3 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., while Lopez was celebrating Thanksgiving at her daughter’s home.
But the break-in quickly became far more devastating than the loss of property. Rocky, Lopez’s dog and loyal companion since her husband’s passing, was missing. After police were notified, an officer later told the family that Rocky had been found nearby with severe head trauma. According to the daughter-in-law, the dog did not survive.
“We don’t know if the burglars hurt him,” she said. Lopez believes Rocky may have been injured trying to protect the home. “He was another member of the family,” she added, still shaken that the intruders didn’t even close the gate as they fled.
Detectives are now reviewing evidence, including fingerprints collected from the scene. The daughter-in-law also recalled an unsettling incident from a month earlier, when someone banged on Lopez’s window late at night but ran off once they realized she was inside.
“It could be a coincidence, but I don’t think so,” she said. “I think it was the same person who came back to finish whatever bad thing they were planning.”
Lopez says she wants accountability for the break-in, the invasion of her home, and the loss of the dog she considered her protector.
“I want justice to be served,” her daughter-in-law said. “I hope the police find whoever did this.”
The family has now launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking community support to help Lopez cover her mortgage, replace what was stolen, and repair the damage left behind.
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