Twenty-eight-year-old automotive student, Juan Ramone Pacheco, was shot and killed Friday afternoon around 6:30 p.m. after a verbal altercation occurred on the 105 Freeway between him and an unidentified individual.

The city of Downey issued a press release the same day stating that Pacheco was merging eastbound onto the 105 Freeway from Lakewood Boulevard when the altercation occurred.

According to the Downey Police Department, the assailant shot one single gunshot into Pacheco’s upper torso causing him to pull over onto the shoulder of the freeway.

It was also noted that once Downey PD arrived on scene, Pacheco had exited his car and collapsed onto the pavement.

He was then rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Leonela Pacheco, wife of Pacheco, recalled the fatal incident that caused the death of her husband whom she has known since she was 14 years old. “We got on the 105 Freeway and he (the suspect) cut us off and almost hit us.

“My husband continued to merge and the guy kept messing with us, and that’s when he (Pacheco) rolled down the window to tell him that he almost hit us. At that moment is when the guy pulled the gun and shot one single shot.”

After Pacheco was wounded, he managed to pull over to the shoulder. “He got out of the car and collapsed onto the floor. My kids were crying and saying, ‘daddy got shot,'” she said.

When news of his death hit campus, many of Pacheco’s classmates were shocked and surprised that their fellow comrade would not be returning to class.

“I couldn’t believe it, I thought he was in a coma. I didn’t think he was dead,” automotive major Emmanuel Luevanos stated.

He continued to describe his classmate as a “passionate, funny, hardworking guy” and “eager to learn.”

Carlos Lopez, automotive major, said, “It’s hard to believe that I just saw him Thursday and now he’s not here.”

Automotive instructor Leonard Glick was taken aback when he found out that one of his students had been murdered.

“It was devastating; I was hoping it wasn’t true at first, but then I called his work and they confirmed his death.

“You hear and read about this type of stuff in the newspaper but you’re so detached that you don’t think that it will happen to someone you know.”

Right before his death, Pacheco purchased an old car to fix up.

Glick recalls that Pacheco would come early to class to tell him about all the progress he was making with his new project; on occasion they would both work on the car to restore it.

“He was a really good student– the type of student you’re happy to have in your class,” Glick said.

Pacheco was in his third semester of the automotive program and halfway through completing the program.

Freddy Siordia, manager at the Jiffy Lube where Pacheco worked at for two years, only had kind words to say about him.

As he searched for the words to describe Pacheco, he repeatedly said, “I still can’t believe it!”

Once he found his train of thought he said, “Juan was a great guy [who was] always positive and had a lot of energy. What made it worse was that he was getting his act together for him and his family and it was unfortunate that it had to end the way it did.”

Sirodia talks about how Pacheco loved his family and devoted everything to make them happy.

Pacheco leaves behind a wife and four children.

“Right now it’s hard but it’s going to get harder when we see him again,” Pacheco’s wife said.

There are plans on having a car wash to raise funds for funeral expenses on Saturday at Simms Park located in Bellflower on Clark and Oak.  

Lieutenant Phil Rego of the Downey Police Department said that investigators do not have any additional information about the suspect other than what is included in the press release.

The assailant’s car is described as a 2002 or 2003 four-door blue Honda Accord with tinted windows and chrome rims.

Leonela and the police are urging anyone who has information about the whereabouts of the suspect to come forward and call the Downey Police Department at (562) 904-2308.

“He’s gone and I want this person to know that you did something horrible to us, horrible,” she stated to ABC News.