Shivangi Sinha
In June 1989, Lourdes Gonzalez was at her home in Manhattan, New York, along with her three children, Antonio Serrano, Carlos Vega, and Amanda Serrano. It was an ordinary day for the family until a man suddenly barged into their apartment and attacked their mother in another room while the children were still inside. The incident left a lasting impact on them, and even after the conviction of the man, later identified as Matias Reyes, it did little to ease the trauma they had endured. In the episode titled ‘Your Eyes or Your Life’ from Netflix’s ‘Homicide: New York,’ all three are interviewed and speak about the crime that changed their lives at such a young age.
Lourdes Gonzalez’s Kids Were in the Apartment When She Was Attacked
After Lourdes Gonzalez married Antonio Serrano Sr., she moved to Manhattan to begin a new chapter in her life. He had a son from a previous relationship, Antonio “Tony” Serrano Jr., while she had a son, Carlos Vega, from her earlier relationship. Their blended family got along very well, and eventually the couple welcomed a daughter, Amanda Serrano. The family of five lived much like any other, but by 1989, with crime rates rising across the city, they shared the concerns many others had. They had even started planning a move to Philadelphia, and Lourdes was especially excited as she was expecting another child.
On June 13, 1989, Lourdes was at home with Tony, Carlos, and Amanda, and it seemed like a perfectly ordinary day for her. The three children were playing when they heard a knock at the door. A man claimed to be the superintendent, and as soon as Lourdes opened it, he forced his way inside and shut the door behind him. The children were terrified, and right in front of them, their mother was taken into another room and assaulted. The man asked her whether he should take her life or her children’s before stabbing her multiple times. After he left, Lourdes managed to rush outside and told her children to call 911, but by the time she reached the elevator, she had collapsed and passed away.
Witnessing the horrific events was incredibly difficult for the three siblings, and what followed proved to be just as challenging. Tony stayed with their father, while Carlos was sent to live with his mother’s sister. Amanda, too, was placed with another family member, and the separation was hard on all of them. Tony later shared that their father was deeply distressed by what had happened and was not in a position to care for everyone at the time. Still, he often wondered if things might have been different had they been able to stay together as a family.
Lourdes Gonzalez’s Kids Are Standing in Each Other’s Support Today
Tony Serrano continues to remember Lourdes Gonzalez as his own mother and remains very close to his two siblings, always wanting the best for them. According to reports, Amanda has likely built a family of her own and keeps her mother’s memory alive in small but meaningful ways. Carlos, however, has been the most deeply affected by what happened. He was just 16 years old when he saw his mother die in front of him, an experience that left a lasting impact.
In 2007, Carlos shot Robert Gaston six times in an East Bronx bodega. He spent about nine years behind bars and was tried three times, with two deadlocks and one mistrial. In 2016, he accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to manslaughter and receiving a 12.5-year sentence, including time served. He was granted parole in June 2018. Although he spoke about wanting to move forward, in November 2025, he was convicted of second-degree assault stemming from a June 2021 incident in which he stabbed Jordan Hyder after a fight. During sentencing, Netflix producers submitted a letter requesting leniency, citing his past trauma. He was sentenced to five years and is now held at Crowley County Correctional Facility in Colorado, with parole eligibility in 2027. His siblings continue to stand by him.
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