Crime

Calif. Dad of 2, Marine Combat Veteran Is Killed While Driving for Uber, Allegedly by Passengers

Aaron Orozco, 38, leaves behind his wife, Sandra, a 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter

Published on March 27, 2023 11:52 AM

An Uber driver and married father of two from California was allegedly shot dead by his passenger, and two passengers allegedly stole his car and are still on the run, according to authorities and his family.

Loved ones have identified the victim as 38-year-old Aaron Orozco. According to a GoFundMe page launched to support his family, Orozco leaves behind his wife, Sandra, a 9-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.

The violent incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on March 24, when Orozco was picking up a fare along Imperial Highway in Lynwood, according to a press release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

During the ride, Orozco stopped his car in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven.

"The victim and the two passengers were then involved in a physical altercation, at which time, one suspect produced an unknown firearm and shot the victim," the release states.

The two male suspects then allegedly fled in Orozco's car, police say, which was found abandoned a short distance away from the crime scene.

Orozco, who was shot in the upper torso, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

According to the fundraiser, Orozco was a combat veteran who served four years in the marines and three tours of duty in Iraq.

"I'm still in shock," Orozco's wife, Sandra Medina, told KTLA-TV." I can't believe this happened to our family. I just don't know how to react right now, really. It's just so hard."

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In a statement to KTLA-TV, an Uber spokesperson reportedly said, "Our hearts are with Mr. Orozco Figueroa's family as they cope with this unfathomable tragedy, and we have reached out to offer our condolences. We banned the rider's account and are working with police on their investigation."

Medina hopes that the suspects, who still remain at large, are caught soon.

"I just hope that they find them because they created this chaos in my life and my family's life," she told ABC7. "And, you know, now I don't have my husband with me. And, it has just changed my life around so much. So, I really hope that they do catch them."

Anyone with information on the ongoing investigation is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.