VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — More than a year before her murder, Bellamy Gamboa placed a call to 9-1-1 saying she was afraid of the ex-boyfriend accused of killing her and what he would do their twins.
Lamont Johnson, 41, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the disappearance of Bellamy Gamboa. Gamboa last was seen alive at her Virginia Beach home on July 1.
Court documents say Johnson confessed to her murder following his arrest over the weekend. He allegedly admitted to investigators that he had pushed Gamboa down a set of stairs and then fell on her. Johnson then said the pair got into a fight and that he choked her until she died.
Johnson allegedly put her body in a bag and took her to Chesapeake. Her remains had not been recovered as of Monday.
Johnson also is charged with four counts of contributing to delinquency abuse of a child on July 2 and 3. The charges involved the twins he shared with Gamboa. Investigators said Johnson admitted to killing Gamboa when questioned about the charges regarding their twins.
The fight wasn't the first one that Gamboa and Johnson had. In court Monday, it came out that Gamboa filed two complaints against Johnson in 2017. Both involved alleged assault. Both were dropped.
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO FULL 9-1-1 CALL GAMBOA PLACED ON MARCH 5, 2017:
Court documents from March 5, 2017 showed that Gamboa said Johnson grabbed her while she held a baby and pushed her down, threatening to kill her. She called 911, but according to court documents, she didn't press charges because she was scared he would hurt their two children. A similar incident happened just two days later on March 7, 2017. In that case, Gamboa reportedly didn't press charges against Johnson for fear it would make him angrier.
Gamboa Documents by 13News Now on Scribd
Gamboa's sister, Charisse, sent 13News Now a statement:
“Sadly, it didn’t have to end this way. She has a big family and (a) support group back home, we all encouraged her. She never budged, she stayed for the twins’ sake (because) if she left the household, she would have them part-time. She was happy with her new position at Livingston, and opening up her past relationships with family/friends. Although Lamont confessed, I refuse to believe she’s deceased until we find her. My sister wanted me to be the first person to hear about the arrest. For some reason, I woke up at 4:30 a.m. PT, and the detectives shared the news over the phone. My Mother wasn’t able to hear her doorbell, and my Father was still asleep. I feel we will find her on Wed 8/1, exactly one month after she disappeared. As for Lamont, we ask God to continue to give him strength to keep speaking and confessing more details to help find her.”
In addition to the murder charge, Johnson is also charged with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Investigators said those charges are in connection to the children he had with Gamboa.
A timeline of the Bellamy Gamboa missing persons case
- July 1 -- Bellamy Malaki Gamboa is last seen at her home in 2100 block of Carrene Drive in Virginia Beach.
- July 3 -- Police find Gamboa’s four-door 2005 gold Ford Focus next to a dumpster in the 5800 block of Pickering Street in the Lake Edward neighborhood.
- July 5 -- Virginia State Police issues a Critically Missing Adult Alert ("Ashanti Alert"). Police say Gamboa's disappearance is suspicious because it's not like her to be away from her infant children and not to show up for work. Investigators think someone abducted her.
- July 7 -- Gamboa's sister, Charisse, arrives in Hampton Roads from California. Longtime family friend Jeremy Gatbonton organizes a full-scale search. People meet at the Philippine Cultural Center, divide into teams, then search across Virginia Beach. As part of the search, a privately hired search dog joins volunteers as they search the Lake Edward area.
- July 8 -- Additional searches take place. Gamboa's family holds a news conference pleading for her safe return.
- July 9 -- Family friend Beverly Gatbonton tells 13NewsNow people are using social media to broaden the search. They created the social media page BRING Bellamy HOME. Comedian Marlon Wayans and Virginia Beach native rapper Pusha T. are among celebrities sharing posts about Gamboa's disappearance.
- July 15 – A fundraiser takes place at Buko Restaurant in Virginia Beach. Proceeds go to the Gamboa Family and its search
- July 16 -- Relatives host a private event marking Bellamy Gamboa's 40th birthday. The same day, there is a public candlelight vigil at the Manor House on Crown Grant Court in Virginia Beach.
- July 25 -- The “Ashanti Alert” issued for Gamboa expires. This did not mean the search for Gamboa ended. Missing person alerts like the Ashanti Alert for adults or AMBER Alert for children can expire after a period if no new information comes out that can help advance the search.
- July 29 -- Gamboa's ex-boyfriend, Lamont Johnson, is booked into the Virgina Beach Correctional Center on several charges including Second Degree Murder. The sheriff's office's records show that the murder of which Johnson is accused took place on July 1, the same date Gamboa's family last saw her. Police did not confirm that he is accused of killing Gamboa. Johnson faces four other charges related to contributing to the delinquency or abuse of a child. The dates listed for those offenses are July 2 and July 3.