Erica Pantoja murder: Family launches GoFundMe as mom-of-six is shot to death by estranged husband

Erica Pantoja was killed by her estranged husband following an argument (Image via GoFundMe page)

Erica Pantoja's death has brought a lot of sadness and a significant financial burden. Given the unfortunate situation, the San Jose Police Officers Association set up a GoFundMe page to help support the children.

Police hope the donations will help the six children, who range from 10 years old to 1 year old. After their parents' deaths, the kids will be cared for by Pantoja's sister and grandmother.

Along with the financial burden, the family members are also trying to overcome the grief while helping the young children process the traumatic experience.

At the time of writing, Pantoja's GoFundMe page had already raised $11,228 in donations from 151 people.

---

Erica Pantoja's killing: Domestic violence takes a deadly turn

Erica Pantoja was at home with her six children when her estranged husband showed up at their North San Jose apartment complex, according to police.

Once the altercation between the couple turned nasty, a security guard tried to intervene. However, the husband shot the guard and Erica Pantoja before turning the gun on himself. These incidents occurred before police officers arrived, Sgt. Christian Camarillo said.

Erica Pantoja, the guard, and the accused husband died at the scene. Appealing to the public, the San Jose Police Department said:

"These children need your help. Six children… lost their mother this past weekend. Please consider donating."

Erica Pantoja's sister, Isabel Chanon, urged people suffering from domestic violence to report it. In a post on Facebook, she said:

"We ask for all people to speak up on domestic abuse. We wish for them to not stay in silence. She didn’t deserve this. She deserved to live a long life with her kids."

Along with Chanon's family, the loved ones of the security guard, Marco Carral Duran, are also in mourning.

The 23-year-old guard is being hailed as a hero by the police and his loved ones. Duran recently began working as a security guard because he wanted to help support his mother and four younger siblings, his family said.

Speaking about her brother, Fernanda Duran’s sister wrote on a GoFundMe page:

"He was a shoulder to lean on while our mother raised the four of us on her own. Marco was our oldest brother, and he dreamt of being a UFC Champ; he trained, watched UFC fights, and was determined.

She went on to write:

"He was training at the American Kickboxing Academy, but when Covid hit, he put his dream aside to be able to provide for our family."

Maintaining that the family is in shock over Marco's death, Fernanda called her brother's killing a "senseless murder."