When a Twin Falls woman was shot multiple times at an In-N-Out restaurant in Canyon Park West on August 1, the community around her didn’t wait long to respond. A traditional Mexican kermes was held Saturday, August 22, at Rancho Sandoval in Jerome to raise money for Isa Torres, a mother of two and the sole financial provider for her household, as she faces a lengthy recovery with no income.
Torres was discharged from a local hospital on August 14 after being hospitalized following the shooting, in which she was struck multiple times. According to those who organized the event, Torres was shot while shielding her sister-in-law during the attack. She has since shared recovery updates publicly but still faces medical appointments in Salt Lake City related to wounds on her face and side, in addition to the emotional toll of surviving the traumatic incident.
Friends Step Up to Organize Community Event
The fundraiser was organized by Fatima Villagran, Cristina Salas, and Vikky Hernandez — friends and community members who recognized that Torres’s financial situation would grow increasingly difficult during her recovery. With two daughters depending on her and no paycheck coming in, the immediate concern was practical: medical travel, daily expenses, and household bills don’t stop arriving because someone is hurt.
Hernandez, one of the three organizers, spoke with the Times-News ahead of the event on August 20. “Bills don’t pay themselves and all her necessities, the gas, the traveling,” Hernandez told the Times-News. “We decided the community should come together as well.”
Hernandez said the group moved quickly once the situation became clear. “You never imagine it hitting somebody close to you,” she told the Times-News. “As soon as we knew where we were with everything… we decided to start organizing.”
The kermes ran from 10 a.m. to midnight at Rancho Sandoval, located at 423 W Rd in Jerome. Admission was set at $10 per person or seven tickets for $50 as a group option, making the event accessible for large families and groups hoping to show support.
Venue Has a History of Stepping Up for Those in Need
Clarisa Sandoval, co-owner of the Mexican restaurant Ceverria’s, made Rancho Sandoval available for the event. The venue is no stranger to this kind of community gathering — it previously hosted a kermes for Sandoval’s own stepson, who was battling terminal cancer, an event that drew strong local participation.
A kermes is a traditional Latin American community fair or fundraiser, typically featuring food, music, and games. The format is well-suited to grassroots fundraising efforts and has long been a staple of the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community for rallying support around neighbors in crisis.
Torres’s situation reflects a reality familiar to many working families in the region: a sudden injury or emergency can upend a household’s finances almost immediately, especially for a sole provider with young children. The community’s willingness to fill that gap — even for someone who may not have made headlines if not for the circumstances of her injury — speaks to the tight-knit nature of Twin Falls County’s broader community.
Southern Idaho has seen multiple examples in recent years of residents turning out to support neighbors facing hardship through organized fundraising. Earlier this summer, the Glanbia Charity Golf Tournament generated more than $220,500 for Southern Idaho nonprofits, and community organizations like SCCAP have launched self-help housing initiatives in Buhl to address local need in practical ways.
What Comes Next
Torres still has medical care ahead of her, including a scheduled appointment in Salt Lake City for treatment of her facial and side wounds. The road to full recovery — both physical and psychological — is expected to take time, and the income gap during that period remains a real concern for her family.
Those who were unable to attend Saturday’s kermes but wish to support Torres can look for updates through community channels and local social media. For families or individuals looking for other ways to give back in the region, local nonprofit organizations continue to coordinate volunteer and donation opportunities throughout Twin Falls County.