Who was Yasmin Perez? Gyovanny Arzuaga's girlfriend dies days after he was killed in 'hate crime'
A Puerto Rican couple has died days apart after being shot by a group of Black men in Chicago's Humboldt Park. Gyovanny Arzuaga and his girlfriend Yasmin Perez with whom he also shares two young children were attacked on June 19 while they tried to celebrate Puerto Rico Day. The graphic video of the attack can be accessed here. Arzuaga was shot in the head and taken to the nearby Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Perez was shot in the neck and was admitted to Stroger Hospital, Cook County in critical condition where she died on Tuesday, June 22.
Perez's death comes three days after Arzuaga's. The Juneteenth weekend saw a surge in crimes across the country. One person died and seven others were wounded at a shooting incident in La Merritt on June 19. A female mob twerked on the ambulance meant to help the victims and blocked it from reaching the scene as they continued to celebrate Juneteeth. In another incident, Jason McDermott, 42, brandished a knife and taser at a crowd at New York's Washington Square Park causing a stampede.
READ MORE
Asian woman, 75, sucker-punched by NYC man as anti-Asian hate crimes rise by 1,300%
Who was Yasmin Perez?
According to her Facebook page, Perez was from Hanover Park, Illinois and was currently living in Schaumburg, Chicago. The bio section of her Instagram page which is set to private hints she was engaged to Arzuaga. Together, they raised their two kids -- a daughter named Sofiya Serenity Perez and son Jayden Javier Arzuaga. They also were parents to a dog named Shadow.
Gyovanny Arzuaga, 24, and Yasmin Perez, 25, were attacked with guns at around 9:23 pm in the 3200 block of Division Street by two or three people, according to police. The two had been celebrating the Puerto Rican Day Parade which took place a couple of hours before they were shot. No arrests have been made in this incident yet. A GoFundMe page, which was initially started to cover Arzuaga's funeral service and cover Perez's medical bills managed to amass $104,608. People are still donating to the cause and the initial target of $10,000 was surpassed on the first day the campaign went live.
After Perez's passing the organizers updated the campaign telling donors about Perez's tragic passing. "We would first like to thank everyone who has shared and donated to the GoFundMe. We did not expect this kind of response and we greatly appreciate it. Sadly, this morning, Yasmin passed away due to her injuries. She fought hard for the last couple of days, but ultimately decided it was time to join Gyo in heaven. We are all heartbroken and devastated beyond belief as they leave behind two beautiful children, Sofiya and Jayden," the update read.
"We are humbled by the enormous outpouring of everyone’s generosity and support during this difficult time. Due to Yasmin’s tragic passing, the GoFundMe money will be used for both services and the balance will be placed in a fund to care for their children and their education. We will update this page when we have more information on funeral services," Isaly Schaffner, the organizer wrote in conclusion.