Kern County woman dies months after being set on fire at homeless encampment
Frances Lopez, 33, died Oct. 2 after surviving a gasoline fire attack at a California homeless camp. Family demands justice as no arrests have been made.
Family demands justice after Oildale fire victim dies, suspects still free
Frances Lopez, 33, of Oildale in Kern County died on October 2 — months after she was doused with gasoline and set on fire at a homeless encampment near Bakersfield, NY Post Metro reports. No arrests have been made in connection with the July 11 attack.
Lopez's husband, Steven, had briefly stepped out of their home when she died. Returning to find her unresponsive, he called 911, but paramedics were unable to save her. She had only recently come home in September after spending months at a specialized burn center in Fresno, where she underwent multiple surgeries for second- and third-degree burns covering more than 30% of her body.
"She's my everything… she was… still my everything. Now I'm just… lost without her," Steven told KBAK 23.
Lopez's grandparents, Michael and Claudia Gezzer, have publicly pleaded for help identifying and locating the people they hold responsible for her death.
"Please, please, please help us to find them. They killed her," Claudia said.
Lopez had previously described the attack in interviews. She said she was visiting a friend inside a tent at the encampment when three people arrived and began arguing over money. One of them retrieved a gas can, and the confrontation turned deadly.
"And then the guy goes out again and grabs a gas can and is like, 'f–k it, let's just light them on fire then,' and threw the gasoline on us," Lopez said in a past interview with ABC News.
She recounted being pushed back inside the tent when she tried to flee. "And that's when the girl lit the flame… and we went up in flames," she said.
Lopez escaped using the "stop, drop, and roll" technique and ran to a nearby trailer park for help. She was airlifted to a burn center in Fresno, where doctors had to resuscitate her twice during transport and initial treatment. The fire left deep burns across her back, legs, arms and face.
Because Bakersfield has no local burn unit, her recovery required repeated 107-mile trips to Fresno for ongoing treatment — care that fell heavily on her family. She was a mother of two.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office has not released an official cause of death. The family said they were told a complete autopsy could take several weeks. It remains unclear whether any suspects have been identified or charged in connection with the July attack.
NY Post Metro said it reached out to the Kern County Sheriff's Office for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Source: NY Post Metro