GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids detectives claim to have a host of evidence against a man accused of killing a woman in front of their child last month.
Luis Fabian Bernal-Sosa, 27, is charged with the murder of 22-year-old Leah Gomez. She was sitting inside her car with her 1-year-old daughter when she was killed on May 31 in downtown Grand Rapids.
Law enforcement tracked him to the Chicagoland area and arrested him. Bernal-Sosa was extradited to Grand Rapids and arraigned over the weekend.
The family of Leah Gomez learned of her suspected killer's arrest during her funeral service.
According to probable cause documents filed in the case, a friend of Gomez called 911 to report they had been on the phone with her when they heard shots fired in the background of the call.
Police rushed to the 300 block of Commerce Avenue SW and found a silver Mercury registered to Leah Gomez.
Inside, they found her dead suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Also inside her car was her small child in the backseat. The child wasn't hurt.
The friend told detectives Gomez was concerned about Bernal-Sosa and wanted to stay on the phone while she was around him.
When Bernal-Sosa found out she was on the phone, the acquaintance told detectives he hung up.
Once Bernal-Sosa left to get some of his daughter's things, Gomez called her friend back.
When Bernal-Sosa came back to the car, the friend heard her say: "Is that an AR-15? You need to get out of my car!"
That's when the friend told police he heard a metal noise, which may have been the sound of a gun being racked. Then the friend heard five to six gunshots, and the phone went silent.
The friend then called 911.
During the investigation, detectives said a witness reported that after shots were fired, he saw a man walking into the apartment complex carrying a gun. This witness identified Bernal-Sosa as the person they saw.
Using a search warrant, detectives found the alleged murder weapon, an AR-15-style rifle, in the apartment.
Investigators also found seven rounds of .223 and two sets of Bernal-Sosa's fingerprints on the exterior of the silver Mercury.
Police said they also found surveillance video of Bernal-Sosa exiting the apartment with something wrapped in a silver blanket with what appeared to be the buttstock of a gun sticking out.
That silver blanket was found on the passenger side of the Mercury that Gomez was found in.
READ MORE: 'I hope that there's justice': Cousin of Leah Gomez relieved after arrest of murder suspect
Bernal-Sosa is charged with first-degree murder, felony firearm and carrying a concealed weapon in connection to Gomez's death.
Bernal-Sosa and Gomez were previously dating, and he's believed to be the father of Gomez's child.
The pair have a history of domestic violence, according to Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom. Bernal-Sosa was also wanted on a warrant for attempting to strangle Gomez prior to her killing.
Detectives are looking into how he acquired the weapon.
"It's an absolute tragedy and he needs to be held accountable," Winstrom said.
As far as a motive for the killing, the chief said it's tough to know what's going on in someone's head.
"There could never be any sort of justification that would make sense to murder a mother in front of her 2-year-old baby," Winstrom said.
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