LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — With her son's 20th birthday just weeks away, Gabby Bustos is recalling the day that completely changed her life.
This October will mark two years with no answers and no arrests in the shooting death of Juan Angel Martinez Bustos. His mother, Gabby, said she is not giving up until she finds out who is responsible.
LEX News interviewed Gabby on Wednesday in Spanish. The following quotes have been translated to English.
On Oct. 4, 2024, Lexington police responded to a shooting near the Bustos' apartment. Juan Angel and his brother were both found shot. Juan Angel did not survive.
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Earlier that month, Gabby had been in a car accident. While she recovered from her injuries, Juan Angel had stepped up and started taking care of his siblings.
"That day he was out, because he went to go buy food for his siblings," she said.
"When I heard that, it sounded like an explosion. I never imagined," Gabby added.
The loss has had a devastating impact on the entire family, including Juan Angel's youngest siblings.
"But this destroyed my family, my kids, the smallest. You should see my little girls. They're five years old now, but they still crying. Some days they wake up and they're asking for their brother, for Juan. My little girl, she's always telling me, 'Mom, I miss Juan. Where's Juan? When is he coming back?'" Gabby said.
Gabby also revealed that on the night her son was shot, she received a video showing him on the ground.
"Because I say, why? They recorded, and why didn't they call 911?" she said.
Despite the pain, Gabby continues to raise awareness — not just for her own family, but for others in the community she says also deserve justice.
"It doesn't matter the color of the skin," she said. "There's a human. We're still humans, and that's why I don't like to speak just for my son. I speak for Esmeralda Rodriguez. I speak for Jose Salazar. I speak for Sergio Villarados. I speak for all of us. Everyone deserves justice."
Gabby is urging anyone with information on her son's death to come forward.
"This is your time. If you didn't help him at that time, it's your time to talk. Speak up," she said. "I'm going to fight until my last breath, because you deserve justice."
Individuals with information on Juan Angel's death crime are asked to contact the Lexington Police Department at (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers through phone at (859) 253-2020, online at this link, or through the P3 Tips app at this link.
