One year later: Candlelight vigil held for Somerton mother killed in shooting
A small handful of people came together Friday night for a candlelight vigil to honor the life of a Somerton mother who was shot and killed a year earlier.
The suspect, Oscar Quintero, is accused of shooting and killing Clarissa Medina and seriously injuring Hugo Verdugo in a parking plaza in January 2018.
ORIGINAL: Family of woman who was murdered speaks out in court
A year later, Medina’s family and friends gathered in the same parking lot the incident happened, where they remembered Clarissa as a mother, daughter, and sister, and not as a victim.
“On this day we remember the most beautiful person in our lives, Lord,” Christina Zacarias, Clarissa’s aunt, said during the vigil.
It was an emotional evening for those close to her.
“That person, Clarissa, who you lent us and gave us the privilege and opportunity to have with us, Lord,” Zacarias continued.
Candlelights illuminated the dark night, as tears rolled down family member’s faces.
During the vigil, family members and friends wrote messages of love on balloons to send to Clarissa.
“I wrote that we miss you, we love you, and you’ll always be in our hearts,” Adrian Negrete, Medina’s cousin, said.
As the criminal case runs its course in court, those who love Clarissa want people to remember the type of person she was.
“She was the brightest light in the Christmas tree. She flourished, she brightened everything in her presence all the time,” Negrete added.
Medina’s immediate family was advised by their attorney not to speak publicly to the media at this time, but Clarissa’s sister, Stephanie, provided News 11 with this statement:
“My sister’s loss has really hurt my family and especially her daughters. We live with the constant reminder that she’s no longer with us and that we will no longer get to see her amazing smile. Her loss has impacted all of our lives and we don’t want her memory to be forgotten,” Stephanie Medina said.
The suspect’s trial is expected to take place later this summer. For Medina’s family, they said they will be at every court appearance until justice is served.
