Family disputes affair claim after deadly Buford Highway shooting
Family disputes motive in fatal Buford Highway shooting
Family members strongly rejected the affair claim, stating the victim only communicated with the suspect's wife regarding work schedules and job matters.
DORAVILLE, Ga. - Daniel Roman-Cortez faces a murder charge after police say he shot and killed a Buford Highway restaurant employee, though the victim's grieving family strongly rejects the suspect's claims about a workplace affair.
What we know:
Police took Daniel Roman-Cortez into custody following the fatal shooting of Pablo Gutierrez Gallegos outside the Buford Highway eatery where Gallegos worked.
Daniel Roman Cortez (Courtesy of DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
Investigators stated Roman-Cortez claimed he killed Gallegos because the worker was carrying on an extramarital affair with his wife.
RELATED: Man killed in Buford Highway shooting over alleged affair
What they're saying:
Gallegos' stepchildren, Brenda Balderes and Dylan Lopez, are mourning their stepfather while actively pushing back against the suspect's stated motive.
"He was very hard-working. He would work 7 days a week," Lopez said.
"He wasn’t that type of guy to get into arguments or start drama, he was always quiet," Balderes said.
Balderes clarified that Roman-Cortez's wife was merely a coworker and had no romantic ties with her stepfather.
"His wife was working with my stepdad. Basically the only thing he would send her to talk to her about is the schedule or things about work," Balderes said.
The backstory:
The fatal shooting leaves Gallegos' wife and their 4-year-old daughter without a husband and father.
"She's holding on as hard as she can. We are doing a prayer for him for the next 7 days. She's seeing how it is affecting us and my sister, so she's trying to hold on," Balderes said.
"It hurts because it’s the father of my 4-year-old sister, and now she has to wake up and not be able to see her dad," Lopez said.
Balderes expressed immense heartache over how the killing suddenly altered their family's lives.
"He took away someone we can't bring back. He took mom's husband, he took a provider. Now, that falls on us to be there for our mom at such a young age it's very difficult," Balderes said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses. To see the fundraiser, click here.
What we don't know:
Police have not released specific information about how the confrontation unfolded or what physical evidence was recovered at the scene.
Authorities have also not disclosed whether other people witnessed the gunfire.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from local police, who detailed the murder charge and suspect claims, as well as family members Dylan Lopez and Brenda Balderes, who shared their statements in an interview.