When Tragedy Unites a Community: Modesto Rallies Behind the Núñez Family

In the aftermath of unimaginable loss, a community showed up—literally—with $2 tacos and open hearts.

Last Thursday, the Núñez family’s world shattered when three members were killed: 23-year-old Fabiola Gonzalez-Núñez, her 11-day-old son Mateo Escoto Gonzalez, and her mother, 54-year-old Maria Sylvia Núñez-Villalobos. The suspect, Joaquin Escoto Vasquez, appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Homeland Security confirmed he had previously been deported and re-entered the country illegally. He’s being held without bail, with his next court date scheduled for late July.

But this story isn’t really about the courtroom. It’s about what happened on McHenry Avenue in Modesto in the days that followed.

Friends and neighbors set up a fundraiser—simple, direct, human-scaled. Tacos for $2. Drinks available. Organizers lost count of how many they sold, but the point wasn’t the number. It was the message: *You’re not alone.* Modesto resident Leiana Bailey summed it up plainly:“It’ll help the family, and I think it’s awesome everyone is out supporting the family.”Content creator Joel Garcia echoed the sentiment, capturing something essential about community:“It just shows you how much we can get together and support the community.”

Sofia Núñez-Villalobos, Maria’s sister and Fabiola’s aunt, spoke with raw honesty about her grief and her anger. She was looking forward to watching her nephew Mateo grow up. That future was stolen. But she was equally clear about something else: her family’s pain should not become a political talking point.“We don’t care right now if he was an immigrant, if he did this, this, this. We care about what he did to my family,”she said.“We want respect for their names.”It’s a plea that cuts through the noise—a grieving family asking the world to see the victims, not the circumstances.

The Núñez family isn’t stopping the fundraising efforts. A car wash near their home and another taco sale are planned for the coming days. Sofia spoke of her faith that justice would come, not from human hands, but from a higher power. In the meantime, the Modesto community continues to show up. That’s where real support lives—not in headlines, but in the small, steady acts of neighbors choosing to care.