A woman was found killed in her home with her hands bound and mouth taped shut on the Fourth of July holiday, investigators said Monday.
Dozens of people turned out for a vigil Monday evening to remember 53-year-old Fatima Johnson. Those present said the kind and generous mother of six was adored in the Manchester Square neighborhood.
Johnson’s daughters say they grew concerned after she failed to show up for work Sunday morning. Their mother wasn’t responding to any text messages. When they showed up at her apartment, they found a terrible scene.
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“What happened to my mother is something that no child should ever see of their parent,” Johnson’s daughter Tyesa Harvey said. “I’m hurt, I’m angry and I’m questioning God right now.”
Johnson’s family and friends say they believe Johnson’s boyfriend is responsible.
“He was just released from prison six months ago after completing a 25-year sentence for murder,” Harvey said. “We took it upon ourselves to start popping up on my mother and checking in on her to make sure she was all right because we didn’t feel comfortable with her relationship.”
Investigators say they are looking at the boyfriend as a person of interest but say the investigation is still early. The suspect, identified only as a male, fled the scene in an unknown direction, police said, adding that the incident is not believed to be gang-related.
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“To the man that murdered my momma, I talked to you this morning. I want you to make your statement. I want you to turn yourself in,” said daughter Kamia Jones.
Harvey adds her mother’s murder is a huge loss for the community, which she always tried to help – whether it was feeding the neighborhood kids or helping someone with gas money. Her family hopes her killer will soon be behind bars.
“My mother made an impact on everyone that she touched. Everyone that knows Fatima Johnson, they’re going to tell you some good things about her, no matter who you talk to, because she made an impact on everybody,” she said.
Officers responded shortly after midnight Sunday to the 7600 block of South Western Avenue in the Manchester Square neighborhood, said L.A. police spokesperson Officer William Cooper.
Johnson was discovered bound and unconscious. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Cooper said.
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