After a house invasion transformed a wedding reception into a horrific crime scene, a St. Louis family is instead overcome with grief, loss, and dread where love, joy, and excitement should reign.
On the evening of June 28, Francisco Manuel Gonzalez, 32, wed Dulce Pena-Villa Gonzalez, 32, the love of his life. The tiny ceremony took place at the family’s house on Neosho Street in the Dutchtown district on the south side of the expansive suburban city.
The festivities continued into the wee hours of Saturday when two armed men wearing masks emerged from a crack in the driveway, irrevocably altering the path of several people’s lives.
The event happened on July 29 just before one in the morning, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said in a press statement.
“Witnesses told officers that several people were gathered in the rear yard of a residence when two black men wearing ski masks entered the yard,” according to police. “One of the men had two handguns and they announced a robbery.”
Law officials said that one of the two attackers started going through the wedding attendees’ pockets. Gonzalez was being watched by his partner, who had both of his weapons aimed at the groom.
The bride’s sister, Yaribeth Peña, told NBC affiliate KSDK in St. Louis that she fled inside as soon as the attack began. She heard a single gunshot while she was inside.
“At first I thought it was a joke,” Peña stated to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I never thought something like this would happen to us.”
There were not many guests left at that point. Gonzalez sustained a head wound. He was taken to a local hospital and is in critical condition, fighting for his life right now.
“We are hoping he pulls through,” Peña stated. “(My sister) is distraught, she’s depressed, she’s heartbroken. They were saying my brother-in-law was going for his wallet and maybe they thought he was going for a weapon.”
The invaders arrived in the driveway that the bride’s sister shares. According to Peña, the attempted robbery and the gunshot happened in about 30 seconds. Ultimately, the two men left on foot without obtaining what they had asked for.
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“They took nothing, yet they took everything from us,” Peña stated. “He’s a good father. A good husband to my sister. He’s a hard worker. He’s just an all-around good person that, I don’t know, he didn’t deserve this.”
To assist with the aftermath of the horrifying wedding night shooting, a family friend established a GoFundMe page.
“This is for Dulce,” according to the online fundraiser. “The family was robbed at gunpoint and her husband was shot in the head. He’s alive and in critical condition. We need prayers that he will come through this. In the meantime, the family will need help with expenses, including medical bills and the loss of his income. Any support that can be afforded to this sweet family will be greatly appreciated.”
