A beloved food vendor who was tragically killed when a suspected DUI driver plowed into a crowd at the North Hollywood Metro station had a “heart of gold” and handed out free food to the hungry, her family said.
Teodora Villalobos, 57, died after an out-of-control minivan driver barreled onto a sidewalk near the station Tuesday night, leaving behind three children. Another vendor, 73-year-old Maria Peck, and a third unidentified vendor were also killed.
Villalobos, known as Doris or “La Güerita,” hailed from El Salvador and sold pupusas, tamales, hot dogs and more from her stand.
“She had a heart of gold and was always willing to help others. Even when someone didn’t have money to pay, she would still give them food,” her family wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.
“She believed in giving, helping, and making sure others were taken care of, never expecting anything in return.”
Villalobos became a familiar face to locals, operating her food stand near the busy intersection of Lankershim and Chandler boulevards.
“To some, she was the lady who made their favorite pupusas. To others, she was someone they could count on, someone who always had a kind word or a helping hand,” her family added.
Even while dealing with health challenges and physical difficulties, Villalobos continued working and looking out for others.
The fundraiser was launched to help her loved ones cope with unexpected expenses following her sudden dєatᩚh.
The driver in the 𝔠r𝘢sh, Ihor Demianenko, 61, of Valley Village, was formally charged with three counts of murder on Friday.
Investigators allege Demianenko was speeding in a white Toyota Sienna and drove around another vehicle before losing control and veering onto the sidewalk during rush hour just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.
In addition to the murder counts, prosecutors charged him with one count of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury and one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher causing injury, NBC 4 reported.
Police initially arrested Demianenko on suspicion of DUI at twice the legal limit. He remains held on $6 million bail.
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