MANTECA, Calif. — 23-year-old Francisco Javier Lara Rosas of Manteca was just starting a family as a young father, but early last Sunday morning, he became the victim of a homicide.
"He was a great father. He was always like a family man. He always enjoyed being with us," said Adriana Sanchez, his girlfriend.
The dad to six-month-old Francisco Jr. and an aspiring musician who wrote his own lyrics to hip hop and rap music had a disagreement with his girlfriend. That led Rosas to take a walk a short distance from home to North Street near North Main Street in Manteca for some time alone.
"He did tell me at the time that he did want to go out at night, and I would tell him 'For what?' I don't see why you would want to be going out at that time. And, I told him, 'It's better if you just stay with the baby,'" Sanchez said.
That fateful night Manteca Police said Rosas encountered 33-year-old Edward Lamar Young Jr. of Manteca. Rosas' family says it was a man he didn't know.
Earlier, Rosas texted his brother to meet up. The brother arrived and a short time later says he witnessed Young pull a gun and shoot Rosas.
Although Young Jr. was quickly arrested as he fled the scene, the motive is still a mystery.
"I was talking on text with Francisco, and in the final moments of his life, I told him I loved him a lot. He told me take care of the baby," said Ana Rosas, Francisco's mother.
Rosas went to Manteca High School, and his family said he had many close friends.
Despite the arrest, his mother said she wants to know why her son was killed. Now, her baby grandson is left behind never to know his father.
"He was a really strong person, and I really didn't think that it would get to that extent of him passing away," Sanchez said.
The family is originally from Mexico, and Francisco's parents both work at a local market. However, they say they can not afford the funeral costs and have set up a GoFundMe account to help with the costs.
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