JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. -- A local woman is speaking out after two people died in Johnston County last week; one, believed by murder, and the other, thought to be her killer, in a crash involving a stolen vehicle.

• Enrique Lopez led officers on a chase in a stolen tow truck on US-70 in Johnston County on Monday, July 1.
• He crashed the tow truck and was pronounced dead on scene.
• The body of his girlfriend, Alanda Abarca, was found the next day. He is believed to be her killer.

"They could not get off the drugs," said friend, Marie Hensley. "They both wanted to, they both had the desire to, they both had all these dreams and ambitions but neither one of them were strong enough to say 'Hey I think we need to walk away from eachother."

Hensley says Alanda Abarca had just reached out last week wanting to reconnect after they had stopped speaking. She says Alanda was working on getting clean and turning her life around.

Marie and Alanda met while living in Smithfield. Alanda first became a babysitter for Marie's son and at one point in time Alanda was living with her.

Tuesday morning, investigators found Alanda's body.

It was less than 24 hours after her boyfriend stole a tow truck, engaged in a high speed chase with police while shooting at them, and eventually crashed on US 70 in Clayton. 

RELATED: Deadly Johnston County Police Chase May Be Connected to Homicide

Enrique Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene.

He's also believed to be Alanda's killer.

Marie says the two had a love/hate relationship.

"One minute I hate you, I don't care what's going on with you, get out of my life, I wish you were dead, then the next minute they're all in love and nothing ever happened. It was one of those things that you saw the phsyical abuse but then you saw the fun they had in their relationship and how good they got along with eachother."

Marie is planning to hold a vigil for Alanda next weekend. 

She says funeral arrangements are still pending as they search for how to fund it.