Authorities in California are investigating the death of a woman whose partner allegedly threatened to harm her 3-year-old child and attacked an officer shortly before her body was found. Lizbeth Arceo Sedano, 25, became unreachable by her family and authorities when her partner, Joshua Gonzalez, was arrested after allegedly making threats against her child and attacking an officer, police in Watsonville, Calif., said in a statement on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Police expressed “serious concerns” about Sedano’s well-being and asked for the public’s help in finding her. Her family reported that it was out of character for her not to answer phone calls or text messages. According to Watsonville police, Gonzalez was outside the police department on Saturday evening when he allegedly called the dispatch center claiming he “was armed with a knife and was going to hurt the three-year-old child.”
He told the dispatcher that the child was his stepdaughter, police informed SF Gate. When a first responder arrived and ordered Gonzalez to drop the knife, he allegedly “charged” at the officer, prompting the officer to shoot him. Gonzalez was taken to a trauma center, and the child was unharmed in the incident.
On Monday, deputies dispatched to a location in Santa Cruz found a deceased body, later identified as Sedano, the sheriff’s department reported. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating her death as “suspicious” and is working to determine the cause and manner of death. Authorities have not yet named any charges against Gonzalez, who was reported to be in stable condition after the shooting.
In a GoFundMe set up for Sedano’s funeral expenses and financial support for her daughter, her family described her as “outgoing, loving, and most of all, a dedicated mother to her 3-year-old daughter.” The fundraiser stated, “Lizbeth’s death was tragic, and our family will never be the same again.” The investigation into Sedano’s death continues as authorities seek answers in this tragic case.