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Investigators are reviewing evidence in hopes of identifying a suspect
Andrea CavallierSaturday 29 November 2025 23:34 GMT
open image in galleryMonica Lopez’s dog Rocky, her companion since her husband’s death, died in Thanksgiving Day burglary (GoFundMe)
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A Thanksgiving Day home invasion left a 76-year-old widow grieving her dog and struggling financially after intruders ransacked her house, stole her wedding ring, and made off with thousands of dollars she had set aside for her mortgage.
Monica Lopez returned to her home in Covina, California, late Thursday, after spending the holiday with family, and found her gate ajar.
Inside the property, she found evidence of a burglary. Clothes were strewn across the floor, drawers yanked open and emptied, and a shattered window marked a potential point of entry.
Even more devastating, her dog Rocky, her companion since her husband’s death, was missing.
A police officer later notified the family that Rocky had been found nearby with severe head trauma, Lopez’s daughter-in-law told KTLA. The dog did not survive his injuries.
open image in galleryMonica Lopez’s dog Rocky, her companion since her husband’s death, was found dead after a Thanksgiving Day burglary (GoFundMe)“We don’t know if it’s the burglars that hit him,” said the daughter-in-law, who requested anonymity. Lopez added she believes Rocky may have been hurt while trying to chase the intruders from the home.
The family believes the burglary occurred between 3 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Detectives later confirmed the intruders had taken valuables, including Lopez’s wedding ring and the cash she’d planned to use to pay her mortgage.
“I can’t believe people would do something like that,” Lopez told KTLA.
open image in galleryInside, it appeared the home had been burglarized. Clothes were strewn across the floor, drawers yanked open and emptied, and a shattered window marked the intruders’ point of entry (GoFundMe)Investigators are now reviewing evidence, including fingerprints collected at the scene, in hopes of identifying a suspect, the daughter-in-law said. She added that about a month earlier, someone had banged on Lopez’s window in the middle of the night but ran off when they realized she was home.
“It could be a coincidence, but I don’t think so,” she said. “I think it was the same man or woman who came back to finish whatever bad thing they were looking to do.”
The family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover Lopez’s mortgage, replace the stolen items, and repair the damage left behind.
