Nearly 7 years after a young mother was brutally killed, her family is relieved that justice was finally served but say they are still struggling to process it all.
Janette, the sister of Diana Gonzalez, told NBC 7 Friday, they are still asking the same question.
"Why anyone would do something like that? It's just hard to believe," Janette said.
Friday, a jury found 44-year-old Armando Perez guilty of brutally murdering his estranged wife, Diana Gonzalez in 2010. She was only 19-years-old at the time and had just given birth to the couple's daughter.
Gonzalez and Perez had been together 3 years, but her family told NBC 7, they noticed signs of domestic abuse.
Two weeks before she was killed, Gonzalez accused Perez of kidnapping and raping her. The charges were not filed due to a lack of evidence according to the District Attorney at the time, but Gonzalez did get a restraining order against Perez.
"It's just what he heard was what he didn't want to hear," her sister said.
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During that time, Gonzalez' family drove her everywhere, including her classes at City College where she was studying to be a nurse. They expected to see her that night after class got out, but Perez was hiding in the bushes, waiting to lure Diana to the bathroom where he brutally stabbed her to death.
Perez had pleaded guilty once before, but that was thrown out on appeal--the court saying he needed proper legal representation, even though he represented himself.
Friday's verdict was the only proper ending to the Gonzalez family's ongoing nightmare.
"I'm sure she's finally resting in peace knowing that justice was made," Janette said.
Perez's sentencing is scheduled for the morning of Nov. 16, 2017.
