ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Dozens gathered Tuesday evening to pay tribute to a 21-year-old pregnant woman, one day after she was fatally shot while driving in Orange County's Pine Hills neighborhood.
A vigil was held at Gamble and Dunsford drives, where Imelda Francois was gunned down. Francois, who was nicknamed Tia, was six months pregnant.
Deputies said the gunman also shot Dyanna Laurent, 13, in the arm, and Francois' toddler son, Kameren Williams, was grazed by a bullet.
"It wasn't right for someone to do that to her," said Emilia Lemaine, Francois' cousin. "She was pregnant, and (we were) all happy for her. How her life was ended -- it wasn't right."
Ernest Lemaine, another of Francois' cousins, said she was reliable.
"One thing I know about my cousin is if you needed her, she was always there," he said. "She was always there."
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During the vigil, there were prayers for Francois' family and a plea for information.
"Although that does not bring her back, it brings closure to a family whose hearts are broken," Bishop Kelvin Cobaris said.
Deputies haven't released a motive for the shooting, but a $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
"We're in desperate need of answers," Emilia Lemaine said. "That's all we need. Just come forward."
Witnesses told investigators two men in an older model white Chevrolet Malibu were seen fleeing the scene.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office or Crimeline at 800-423-8477.
Family & friends of slain 21 year old pregnant woman gather at the Pine Hills intersection where she was fatally shot yesterday. Live coverage on #TV27at10 & #WFTVat11 @WFTV pic.twitter.com/hUDMNJ5g1v
— Ken Tyndall (@KenTyndallWFTV) July 17, 2018
Cox Media Group
