Woman starts petition to stop business from getting liquor license

The mother of a woman who was fatally shot at a Riverside bar 13 years ago has set up a petition to stop the new owners from obtaining a liquor license. Dawn Gilliam's 21-year-old daughter Kelly was

News 12 Staff

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Jun 15, 2016, 2:40 AM

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Updated 3,111 days ago

The mother of a woman who was fatally shot at a Riverside bar 13 years ago has set up a petition to stop the new owners from obtaining a liquor license.

Dawn Gilliam's 21-year-old daughter Kelly was shot and killed at the bar that was then called Lena's in March 2003.

Gilliam is fighting the new owners of the business, now a Mexican restaurant called J.R. El Mariachi. She hopes her petition will prevent the restaurant from being able to serve liquor.

"Someone has to listen. They didn't listen all those years ago," says Gilliam. "The names changed over the years, however the people who frequented that place never changed, it was always the same."

The owners of the new restaurant, the Rojas family, tell News 12 they understand Gilliam's concerns but say their establishment is a family restaurant and not a bar.