Gloria Zamora, a rising fitness influencer and mother of seven, was tragically killed alongside her new date, Hector Garduno, in a horrific shooting. The attack left two families, and 11 children, without a parent.”
The incident occurred Saturday night, June 21, in the parking lot of a sushi restaurant in Fontana, California, about 50 miles from Los Angeles.
According to authorities, Zamora’s estranged husband, Thomas Alberto Tamayo Lizarraga, allegedly pulled the trigger in an act of violence that stunned the local community.
A Shocking Attack After a Public Split
Just days earlier, Zamora had opened up about her breakup on her women-focused podcast, HERizon, speaking candidly about her decision to leave her second husband.
“They were going through a divorce, that led to this,” Officer Steve Reed of the Fontana Police Department confirmed in an interview with ABC7.
Zamora and Garduno had reportedly been dining at the restaurant for about an hour before the ambush. Police are still unsure how Lizarraga knew where the couple was, but say the fatal confrontation unfolded just before 9:40 p.m..
Off-Duty Deputy Steps In
What could have ended even worse was stopped by a passing off-duty deputy from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, who happened to witness the chaos.
“He made a U-turn at the light, got out of his vehicle, and confronted the suspect,” said Officer Reed. The deputy shot and killed Lizarraga on the spot, preventing further bloodshed.
Remembering Gloria and Hector
Zamora, 40, was a popular fitness figure with over 150,000 followers on Instagram. She was admired for her motivational posts and passion for empowering women. A GoFundMe created in her honor described her as a beacon of strength.
“She always said, ‘Women can do anything they set their minds to,’ and she lived those words every day,” her daughter Jazlynne Zamora wrote. “My mom was senselessly taken from us, murdered by my stepdad Tomas, in an act of unimaginable violence.”
Zamora leaves behind seven children, ranging in age from 8 to 24.
Garduno, 43, was also a father of four children. His loved ones remember him as “a devoted and hardworking man that was tragically murdered and gone too soon.”
Investigation Ongoing
Police say the investigation is still ongoing. They are working to determine how the suspect located the couple and whether any prior threats had been made.
For now, two families are left to grieve, and a tight-knit online community is mourning the loss of a woman who believed in strength, healing, and the power of starting over.
