PHOENIX - It’s a crime that shocked the community.
A beautiful young mother was gunned down in front of her two children at a north Phoenix apartment complex early Tuesday morning.
12 News has since learned the victim, 35-year-old Blanca Gutierrez-Calzoncit, was in the process of distancing herself from her ex-husband, Josiah English III, the man accused of killing her.
“She was just a really sweet lady. All she cared about was her kids, that’s all she cared about,” said Blanca’s cousin David, who asked that we refer to him by his first name only.
Tragically protecting her two young children is exactly what Phoenix police say the 35-year-old was doing in the days leading up to her death.
Early Wednesday morning detectives arrested English and charged him with first-degree pre-meditated murder.
“I know he was aggressive towards her and that's why she separated from him about a year and a half or two years ago," David said.
According to family members, the day before the attack, Blanca and the suspect were in court for what police told 12 News was a custody hearing.
“Apparently whatever the judge ruled, he (Josiah) was very upset and as they were walking out, Blanca told my mom and her sister that he was threatening her like, ‘You know I'm going to get you back for this. You're not going to do this to me,’” David told 12 News. “And that she (Blanca) was very afraid but she just thought he was going to try and take the kids away from her.”
No one ever imagined the situation would end as horrifically as it did.
Investigators say around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, Blanca was loading her kids, ages 3 and 4, into the car when they believe English shot her multiple times at close range.
“We're dealing with a suspect who had the cold heartedness to take someone's life in front of their children,” said Sgt. Vince Lewis a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department.
Sgt. Lewis says the couple did have previous domestic issues and that Blanca was desperately trying to distance herself from the situation.
“She was working on building that new, safe life for her children and the suspect stepped in and committed this act,” said Sgt. Lewis.
Blanca’s family told 12 News before moving to the United States she’d received a college education in Mexico and was fluent in three languages.
After becoming a naturalized citizen, they say her goal was to become a teacher in order to help kids learn English.
Now, devastated by the loss of such a beautiful, determined person Blanca's family is focused on making sure her kids are able to get through this.
“I can't even imagine what the kids are going through,” David said. “That's just terrifying.”
English is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
