Loved ones honor Dustin DeWitt on what would have been his 22nd birthday
STOCKTON, Calif. —
Dozens of Dustin DeWitt’s relatives and friends gathered in Stockton on Thursday to celebrate his life on what would have been his 22nd birthday, nearly five months after he was fatally stabbed in downtown Sacramento.
Green tablecloths, green clothing and photographs of DeWitt filled the memorial at Nelson Park. A friend explained that green was DeWitt’s favorite color.
“Green is everywhere,” the friend said. “Green is in the floor, green is within us, green is Dustin.”
The gathering was supposed to be DeWitt’s birthday party. Instead, it became a celebration of his life and the effect he had on others.
“He’s supposed to be here. He’s supposed to be celebrating his birthday, creating many more memories with all his friends and the community,” said his mother, Sokha Hem. “It’s just a big loss. It’s just a huge void that will never be filled.”
Hem said she wants people to remember her son as more than the victim of a violent crime.
“Dustin is not just a name,” Hem said. “He’s just incredible — the way he loved people passionately, deeply, the way he loved all beings. He’s just an incredible soul.”
Friends said DeWitt had a rare ability to form an immediate connection with nearly everyone he met.
“You would think you’d known him for years,” one friend said. “He just connected with anybody on anything, no matter what it was.”
One of DeWitt’s childhood friends said he contacted Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi’s office and asked the city to recognize July 30 as Dustin DeWitt Day. City leaders presented a proclamation honoring DeWitt during the memorial.
DeWitt was 21 when he and a woman were stabbed March 2 near the Yard House restaurant at Sacramento’s Downtown Commons, according to police. Both were taken to a hospital, where DeWitt died. The woman survived.
DeWitt’s family believes he was trying to protect the woman, who was his friend, when he was stabbed.
Sacramento police later arrested Humberto Palacios in connection with the attack. Palacios, who was 19 when he was arrested and has since turned 20, faces a homicide-related charge. His next court hearing is scheduled for mid-September.
DeWitt’s stepfather, Dean McLain, said the family will continue seeking justice.
“Dustin was a fighter throughout his whole life,” McLain said. “Now it’s our turn to continue that fight for Dustin and seek justice.”
The family is also creating a scholarship in DeWitt’s name for a student who demonstrates the kindness, compassion and resilience they said defined his life.
“Although we wish he were here with us today, his spirit continues to live on through the love he shared, the lives he touched and the memories we hold close to our hearts,” a friend said during the memorial.
Hem said the number of people who attended showed that her son’s ability to bring people together continues after his death.
“He’s touched so many lives, and I think his spirit still continues because it’s bringing everybody here together,” she said.
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