A California mom said she was set on fire at an encampment, then a week after telling her story, her husband found her unresponsive at home

Frances Lopez, a 33-year-old mother of two from Oildale in Kern County, has died after a long recovery from a severe attack in which she was set on fire. Her husband, Steven, discovered her unresponsive at their home near Bakersfield, shortly after he had stepped out of the house. 

As reported by the NY Post, while emergency services were called, it was unfortunately too late to save her. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released a cause of death, and the family expects that a full autopsy could take several weeks to complete.

This sudden loss comes after months of intense suffering for the family. Back on July 11, Lopez was visiting a friend at a homeless encampment when an argument over money broke out with three other people. The situation escalated when one of the individuals allegedly grabbed a gas can. 

She had burns across more than 30% of her body

In a previous interview, Lopez reportedly described the terrifying moments before the fire started. She recalled the man saying, “f*** it, let’s just light them on fire then,” before throwing gasoline on them. She explained how she tried to escape the tent, but she was pushed back, and a woman ignited the flame, causing them to go up in flames.

Lopez managed to survive the initial attack by using the stop, drop, and roll technique before running to a nearby trailer park to seek help. She described the sensation of the ordeal, saying, “I was so cold, but I was hot. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.” 

She was airlifted to a specialized burn center in Fresno, where doctors had to resuscitate her twice during the transport and her initial treatment. The fire resulted in second- and third-degree burns across more than 30% of her body, specifically affecting her back, legs, arms, and face.

Because there is no local burn unit in Bakersfield, Lopez had to endure frequent 107-mile trips to Fresno for her medical care. She previously spoke about the difficulty of this process, noting, “It’s up to my family to do my care, and it’s a lot of stuff, like really a lot.” After undergoing multiple surgeries, she finally returned home in September, only to pass away weeks later.

Her family is now left to mourn and is actively seeking answers regarding why the suspects in the July attack have not been apprehended. Her husband, Steven, expressed his grief to KBAK 23, stating, “She’s my everything… she was… still my everything. Now I’m just… lost without her.” 

Her grandparents, Michael and Claudia Gezzer, are also devastated by the situation and are pleading for any information that could lead to an arrest. Claudia stated, “Please, please, please help us to find them. They killed her.” As of now, it remains unclear if any arrests have been made in connection with the July attack. The family is waiting for official word from authorities while they process the loss of a mother who had already fought so hard to survive.