FONTANA, CA – A renowned fitness influencer and her companion were fatally shot outside a local sushi restaurant Saturday night in what authorities are describing as a domestic violence incident that ended in a deadly confrontation with police.
Gloria Zamora, 40, who had amassed a sizable social media following, was out with Hector Garduno, 43, when the pair were approached outside the restaurant in Fontana. Police said both were gunned down in the parking lot, allegedly by Zamora’s estranged husband, 45-year-old Thomas Alberto Tamayo Lizarraga.
Officers said Zamora was in the midst of a divorce from Lizarraga when the tragedy occurred. The couple’s separation had been publicly discussed on social media in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
Fontana police reported that Lizarraga first opened fire on Garduno before turning his weapon on Zamora. Gunshots rang out in the popular dining area along Summit Avenue, capturing the attention of several off-duty law enforcement officers nearby.
A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy, who happened to be off-duty at the time, responded immediately. The deputy reportedly drove toward the shooting, confronted Lizarraga, and fatally shot him, according to investigators.
Paramedics rushed both Zamora and Garduno to a local hospital, but neither survived their injuries.
Authorities said Zamora was a mother to seven children, while Garduno was the father of four daughters. Zamora’s profile as a fitness influencer garnered her around 150,000 Instagram followers, and her personal life—including the circumstances of her troubled marriage—had recently been the subject of a podcast appearance.
In the podcast, released less than a week before her death, Zamora discussed the unraveling of her second marriage. She suggested that her growing online prominence contributed to tensions with Lizarraga, who she claimed made critical remarks about her appearance and failed to support her ambitions.
Footage from the podcast was shared on social media with the caption, “With husbands like these, who needs enemies?”
Fontana police have said the investigation remains ongoing, and they continue to gather evidence from the restaurant scene and interviews with potential witnesses.