A family dinner outing turned into a nightmare that still haunts a Southern California family more than three years later — and police say the case is still not fully closed.
On December 4, 2022, around 4:30 p.m., Maria Del Refugio Mora, a 43-year-old mother of three, was walking toward a pizzeria on South Main Street in Santa Ana to meet her husband and their 3-year-old son for dinner. In what should have been an ordinary moment, she spotted her husband across the parking lot and smiled at him.
That smile was the last thing he remembers before everything changed.
Just then, a gunman stepped out of a white Toyota Camry and opened fire on two teenagers standing nearby. The shooting had nothing to do with Maria — police later confirmed it was a gang-related attack, and the two intended targets walked away unharmed.
But one of the bullets didn’t hit who it was meant for.
That stray shot struck Maria in the upper torso, right in front of her husband and young son. She was rushed to the hospital, where she fought for her life for five days before passing away.
Her children — ranging in age from just 3 to 15 — were left without their mother during the holiday season, a loss that shattered the entire family.
Police Chief David Valentin called it a heartbreaking tragedy, saying that the “collateral killing of an innocent bystander, a mother of three,” should never happen, especially so close to the holidays.
Nearly two weeks after the shooting, investigators arrested 19-year-old Mark Remmers, identified as the shooter, and 24-year-old Brooke De La Cruz, accused of being the getaway driver. Both were charged with murder.
But here’s the part that’s left this case haunting families in Santa Ana: police believe at least two more people were inside that car — and they are still on the run.
Maria’s husband, who locked eyes with his wife just moments before the gunfire, has spoken about the rage and grief he carries, demanding that everyone involved be held fully accountable.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family described Maria as a devoted wife and mother who adored her children — and said simply, “Nobody deserved this.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Santa Ana Police Department Homicide Section at 714-245-8390, or submit an anonymous tip through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.
