Amanda Buchanan has passed away after being taken off life support. Her ex-boyfriend is accused of trying to kill her by setting her on fire. NBC 7’s Dave Summers reports.
A woman who was attacked while working at a 7-Eleven in Chula Vista over the weekend has died, family members said Thursday.
The incident happened near Broadway and L Street around 8 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.
Amanda Buchanan, who had suffered burns over 80% of her body, had been on life support since that day, after police say her ex-boyfriend showed up to her work, threw gasoline on her and set her on fire.
"The extent of her injuries are so severe that we got together with the surgeons and talked about her quality of life, and it's not going to be the same, so we decided to go ahead and pull the plug on her. That way, she's not suffering," Dominic Rivera, Buchanan's son, said Wednesday.
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Rivera confirmed to NBC 7 on Thursday that she died.
Previous coverage:
The convenience store will remain closed for the rest of the week. News of Buchanan's death spread quickly among coworkers, customers and friends, who brought flowers and heavy hearts to the scene of the crime.
Buchanan's death is a sadness difficult for her boss to overcome as she sat next to the sidewalk shrine in front of the 7-Eleven and wept.
"She was so amazing," store manager Patricia Sanchez said. "She was so full of life. She was gorgeous."
Longtime customer and friend Tommy Pangelinan was at work but couldn't concentrate with Buchanan on his mind. He came by to light the candles and freshen the many flowers.
"It breaks my heart to know something so tragic happened like that. She was a big-hearted person," Pangelinan said. “You could tell that she cared about people.”
Buchanan's closest friend and roommate for 10 years, Alma Ogden, told NBC 7 earlier this week that Buchanan tried to break up with her boyfriend three times, but he would not leave her alone. Ogden says he followed her to work and home and that he harassed her over the phone, even going so far as to disguise the number just to get her to answer.
"He was texting her, and she was blocking him, and he kept texting her from other numbers and harassing her," Ogden said.
Buchanan was a mother and a friend to many people. By most accounts, whatever you came into the store for, Buchanan's smiling face was the pick me up you left with.
"Everybody loved her," Sanchez said.
Jose Carlos Villanueva, 47, was arrested and appeared in court earlier this week. Prosecutors say he had been planning the attack for a while.
Villanueva pleaded not guilty to charges of torture, arson and attempted murder. That charge will likely change with Buchanan's death.
Buchanan's coworker was also severely burned in the attack, but her injuries aren't life-threatening.
Villanueva remains in jail without bond, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 6.
