Community, family members remember Burtonsville mother allegedly killed by son

Glenda Patricia Salamanca Reyes worked at local restaurants for decades, sewed bridal and quinceañera dresses

May 27, 2026 10:53 a.m.

Glenda Patricia Salamanca Reyes, 50, of Burtonsville. Photo credit: Courtesy of Celia Bonilla

Hundreds of community members have come together to support the family and loved ones of a Burtonsville woman who was allegedly killed earlier this month by her son.

As of Wednesday, more than $14,000 has been collected through a GoFundMe campaign raising funds for a funeral and memorial service for Glenda Patricia Salamanca Reyes, 50. In addition, community members have commented on social media posts sharing memories of her kindness and expressing condolences.

Salamanca Reyes, a mother of three, was well known in her community because she worked at restaurants in Burtonsville for about two decades, her cousin Celia Bonilla told Bethesda Today on Tuesday. Several tables at the eateries where Salamanca Reyes worked are now full of flowers, cards and photos dropped off by community members, according to Bonilla.

“Glenda came [from El Salvador] to this country almost 20 years ago with clear goals and a vision for her future. Everything that she set her mind to, she accomplished because she was very disciplined and worked very hard and was very humble … she was able to accomplish her goals with such a quiet strength,” Bonilla said.

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She remembered her cousin as deeply caring, personable and creative. According to Bonilla, Salamanca Reyes was a skilled seamstress who made bridal and quinceañera dresses, specialized in embroidery and also created soaps.

Salamanca Reyes worked for many years at Chapala, a Mexican restaurant, and stayed when it became Luchador Bar & Eats and Centrado Café Shop in Burtonsville, most recently working as a manager. The eateries are part of Centrado Group, a locally- and family-owned food services company behind La Casita Pupuseria, with locations in Silver Spring and Gaithersburg, and Restaurant 198 in Burtonsville.

When Salamanca Reyes hadn’t shown up for work on May 15, Montgomery County police were dispatched to her home in the 3900 block of Blackburn Lane to do a welfare check, police said in a press release last week. She was found dead, and an autopsy conducted May 17 by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore determined she died from multiple stab wounds. The manner of her death was deemed a homicide, according to police.

County police detectives believe Salamanca Reyes’ 28-year-old son, Ricardo Adelso Colato Salamanca, stabbed his mother to death and left the apartment building when officers arrived.

Community support

On Sunday, a memorial service for Salamanca Reyes will be held at 5 p.m., followed by a vigil at 8 p.m., at Restaurant 198 at 15540 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, according to a social media post from Luchador Bar & Eats. Community members are invited to attend.

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The eatery’s memorial post described Reyes as an “amazing and integral” member of the team.

“She loved her work and we appreciated and valued her immensely,” the post said. “We will attempt to pick up the pieces from her passing, although she can never be replaced.”

More than 150 people wrote comments under the post expressing their condolences, appreciation for Salamanca Reyes and also sharing memories of her at work. One commenter remembered how Salamanca Reyes helped her organize her son’s baptism dinner while another said Salamanca Reyes once dug through the restaurant’s trash to help them find a lost wallet.

“She was such a warm, loving, and genuine person who always made everyone feel welcomed,” another comment said. “Whether it was recommending new dishes for me to try, talking about life, family, business, or sharing stories about her crafting projects, she always brought so much light and positivity wherever she went.”

Seeing the support of the community, from donations on GoFundMe to online messages, has been very “impactful,” Bonilla said Tuesday.

“I think it’s just the realization of the tremendous footprint that she left behind. For us, it’s just an incredible feeling to have to [know] that so many people loved her and care for her,” Bonilla said.

However, Bonilla said she and family members have been upset by the story told sometimes with inaccurate information on social media. Bonilla was particularly disheartened to see what she believed to be images of her cousin distorted by AI and headlines that said Salamanca Reyes’s son killed her over drugs.

“It’s very painful because it takes away from who Glenda was,” she said.

For now, Bonilla said she and her family are still waiting for answers, as it could take months before anything is clear, she said.

Bonilla said she will miss not having someone in her support system like her cousin, noting that when her husband died due to COVID-19, Salamanca Reyes was there for her every step of the way.

She added that it felt “ironic” that one of the people whom Salamanca Reyes cared for and loved the most could be her killer.

“She lived her whole life protecting and caring for her kids,” Bonilla said. “But … we will let the authorities and the laws take care of the consequences of his actions and hopefully for us to get justice for her.”

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine