The fatal shooting of an Escondido woman, apparently hit by gang crossfire on her way home from church, was met with outrage and sadness Wednesday as news of the crime spread across the region.

Catherine Kennedy was driving along East Grand Avenue in Escondido on Tuesday night when she was struck in the head by a stray bullet, about four miles from the Church of St. Timothy where the 55-year-old served as a youth leader.

Barbara Allen, 48, said she was in her apartment when she heard four gunshots followed by the sound of a crash. Allen rushed outside, she said, and found the victim slouched over behind the wheel of her car.

The woman still had a pulse when medics arrived, Allen said. Kennedy was transported to a hospital, where she later died.


Deborah Ware, Kennedy’s sister, said her faith “meant everything to her.”

Kennedy and her husband, Kevin, had been married since 2014 and both were active at St. Timothy’s, where he leads the religious education program.

“She was in a prayer group on Tuesday,” Ware said.

A few dozen people gathered at the church Wednesday night for a private prayer service.


A spokeswoman said earlier in the day that Father Fernando Ramirez was too upset to comment on Kennedy’s death. “Cathy was one of the most wonderful people you ever want to meet,” she said.

Catherine Kennedy, left, with daughter Alicia de la Rosa (courtesy Kennedy family)

Kennedy worked for 22 years as a registered dental hygienist at Brilliant Dental in Escondido, according to the office Facebook page.

“She was passionate about making a difference in her patients lives and everyone with whom she came in contact,” Brilliant posted.


In addition to her husband, Kennedy is survived by a daughter, Alicia de la Rosa, 24.

Escondido police Chief Craig Carter called the killing “a senseless tragedy” and said his department would be cracking down on street gangs.

“We are altering our resources to address this,” Carter said Wednesday. “If you are a gangster in the city of Escondido and you’re contacted (by police) we’re going to use the furthest extent of the law to make sure we deal with you.”

Carter said he believes this is the first time an innocent bystander has been killed in a random shooting in Escondido.


“To my knowledge it has never happened,” he said. He noted that one youth was killed in a gang shooting that was a case of mistaken identity, but that it was not similar to Kennedy’s death.

Kennedy was driving east on Grand Avenue approaching Midway Drive when she was hit. She kept going several hundred feet before her silver Toyota Camry veered and smashed into a parked pickup truck shortly after 9 p.m.

Escondido police Lt. Justin Murphy said witnesses told investigators they believe at least two possible gang members were shooting at each other from opposite sides of the avenue.


He said witnesses in a vehicle traveling in front of the victim’s car saw the muzzle flashes of the guns in the crossfire.

“We’re not sure how many, or for what reason, or why. However, we believe the victim was unintended as she was driving her car,” Murphy said.

Investigators combed the block and found shell casings and bullet fragments between buildings at the Pepperwood Meadows apartments.

Chief Carter said later in the day that the investigation is ongoing and authorities aren’t yet sure if more than one gun was fired.


Last year, the city focused on the area near the Pepperwood Meadows as part of its Neighborhood Transformation Program, Carter said.

“We made tremendous headway in that area, but the problem with that apartment complex is they are individual owners,” Carter said. “I’ve met with the city attorney’s office. To the extent that we can, we are going to take any legal action we can to anybody that rents to, or harbors, a gang member in that apartment complex or any.”

City leaders said they were horrified by Tuesday’s shooting and vowed to keep working to end gang violence.

“It’s a very, very tragic and sad day in our city to lose an innocent life,” Escondido Mayor Sam Abed said. “We are committed to make Escondido a safe city and we are going to have zero tolerance against gang violence in particular.”


Meanwhile, a group of about 40 people gathered Wednesday evening for a candlelight vigil on Grand Avenue, where Kennedy’s car came to rest.

Diane and Tom Row, who live nearby, were among those who stopped to pay their respects.

“It could have been me,” Diane Row said. “It just breaks my heart. That poor lady and her husband, how he must feel.”

The vigil was organized by Mark Madore, the pastor at Word of Life Worship Center, about a block away from the crime scene.


Madore said gangs on “the west side and east side have been fighting each other for a while now and it’s getting out of control.”

He said 85 percent of the people who go to his church were at one time involved in gangs or drugs and “have turned their lives around. “.. The message should be to these gang members that they can turn their lives around too,” he added.

Carter said the city’s gang problem has remained consistent over recent years. Escondido had five homicides last year, one of them gang-related.

Witnesses who saw anything of the shooting and anyone with other information can call police detectives at (760) 839-4926 or (760) 839-4422, or leave an anonymous tip at 760-743-TIPS (8477).


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Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

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This article was originally published at 10:35 p.m. March 7.