Kyle Lombardo allegedly killed his mother Karyn Lombardo, inset, a beloved kindergarten teacher, following an altercation at their Burbank, California, home. (Screenshot: KTLA; Karyn Lombardo: Burbank schools)
A 25-year-old man is accused of murdering his mother, a beloved teacher for more than 30 years, at their home in Burbank, California, according to police.
Burbank police said officers and paramedics around 10 p.m. Tuesday responded to a home in the 800 block of N. Avon Street for an unconscious woman. Cops found the woman, identified as 57-year-old Karyn Lombardo, in the home not breathing. Paramedics pronounced her dead on scene.
After an investigation, police learned she had an altercation with her son Kyle Lombardo, who they say killed her. Police arrested him for murder. He lived at the home with his mother and father.
Vince Lombardo told KTLA that he was away for the night and everything seemed fine when he was texting his wife. He said in an interview with the outlet that his son had mental health problems and cops previously had to be called to the home. He bemoaned the way officials are limited in responding to mental health crises, calling it a “reactionary system.”
His wife loved their son and had tried to help him, he said.
“Until something happens, you can’t do anything,” he told KTLA. “That’s there’s not enough help to help these people, especially when they become adults.”
The murder has left the Burbank community devastated. Karyn Lombardo taught at the Burbank Unified School District for over 30 years. John Paramo, superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District, released a statement to KTLA that said she started at Joaquin Miller Elementary in 1990 before transferring to Bret Harte Elementary School three years later where she’s been ever since. She taught kindergarten.
“Over the course of her highly accomplished career, Ms. Lombardo touched the lives of thousands of students, parents, and colleagues, who will be mourning this loss in the days to come. Her dedication, warmth, and passion for teaching touched many students and colleagues’ lives. Her profound impact and loss on this community will be deeply felt throughout the City of Burbank.”
A makeshift memorial of flowers and cards grew at the school. Former students and parents alike were mourning her loss.
“She would always tell us that if we were down, just to love ourselves and to talk to our parents about it,” former student Zoe Bautista told KTLA. “She would make us feel like we were the luckiest kids in the world.”
Natalie Talamantes, the incoming PTA president at the school said in an interview with the TV station Karyn Lombardo was known for her bee costumes.
“She was the heart and soul of Bret Harte, an outstanding teacher,” she said.
Kyle Lombardo is in jail on a $2 million bond.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
