BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Families of those lost to violence gathered in Bakersfield as the Kern County District Attorney’s Office unveiled the Victims of Violent Crime Memorial.
Victims of Violent Crime Memorial unveiling in Bakersfield. KBAK / KBFX
The dedication was part of the annual Crime Victims’ Rights March and Candlelight Vigil.
The memorial, located outside the district attorney’s main office on Truxtun Avenue, features an ossuary engraved with the names of over 4,400 homicide victims from Kern County.
Poster boards honor the lives of individuals lost to violent crime in Kern County. Everardo Aparicio Zaragoza is pictured on the left, and Lawrence James Leyvas is pictured on the right. KBAK / KBFX
Barbara Gibbs, attending to support her daughter and others, said, “Sometimes you suppress, and it’s hard to let it out, unless you’re around people who have a common pain, a common loss.”
Linda Soto, representing her son Michael Belisteros, who was killed in 2017, expressed gratitude for the memorial, saying, “I feel very honored. I feel like this is such a beautiful thing they’re doing for us.”
Candelight vigil ceremony for individuals lost to violent crime in Kern County. KBAK / KBFX
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The event, typically held in April during Victims’ Rights Week, was moved to coincide with the memorial unveiling.