Katherine and Dominic’s parents were killed in an armed attack inside their house where Katherine witnessed the murders and was even shot in the face. The bullet went in her left cheek and out her right cheek. After she recovered from the bullet wounds, she and her brother went to live with their maternal grandfather and the woman he lives with. They lived with him for a year and were severely beaten the whole time. Both children were rescued but sent to recover at the hospital for weeks before they were stable enough to come to Casa Angelina. Their parents were involved in gangs, and before coming to Casa Angelina, their grandfather gave Dominic a necklace representing the gang that he is also involved with, telling young Dominic that someday he too would be a strong gang leader. But God has a different destiny for these precious children, and they have adapted really well to life at Casa Angelina.